


Bilbo Baggins and the Most Unexpected Night

by Cloud_Nine



Series: Bagginshield Dwobbits [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, BAMF Bilbo, Bilbo saves baby dwarves, Edited Hobbit Culture, Families of Choice, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I broke canon!, I broke that too!, It's about Bilbo and his Dwarflings, It's all about family, Long Lived Hobbits, M/M, Permant Scaring, Protective Bilbo, Slow Paced, The title sounds like porn but it's not, Thorin Has No Sense Of Direction, What timeline?, Women Being Awesome, movie-verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-26 07:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Nine/pseuds/Cloud_Nine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tales of child snatchers have reached the Shire, that's why when Bilbo Baggins hears what he believes to be children in distress he can't ignore it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't unusual to hear the happy shouts and screeches of children around the Shire. It was less uncommon, of course, for these noises to be heard after dark, but still one could explain away the noises if they wished. On this night though, Bilbo Baggins, couldn't find it within him to explain away the noise. 

That's how the prim and proper Hobbit had found himself outside of his hobbit hole at such a late hour. The moon was already in the sky and the ground was cooling, Bilbo's feet made no noise as he quickly made his way toward the sounds of the distressed children. 

You see the story actually started back in Bilbo's hobbit hole, Bag End, nearly an hour before. Bilbo had been sitting by the fire, warm and cozy when a draft of cool air blew through the hobbit's home making him shiver. It was with great reluctance that Bilbo pushed himself out of his chair and onto his feet. Hobbit feet were tough but after warming ever so nicely in from of the fire, Bilbo would admit that his toes ached from the cold. 

Finding the open window was easy simply following the cold air he found it quickly and when it was nearly closed, Bilbo paused. Shouting? It was much too late for shouting, all respectable hobbits were in bed at this hour. In fact that is where Bilbo knew he should be so he put the shouting out of his mind and started closing the window again, when the shout was heard once more. This time, softer, but still able to be heard. 

The hobbit frowned, it sounded almost like a child. Shaking his head he turned away from the window and walked back to his chair. No hobbit mother or father would let their children be out and about at this time of night. Especially not with the stories that were going around. Horrible stories of child-snatchers. Men had come into Bree telling tales of children being snatched from their beds and taken who knew where. The hobbits had taken these stories to heart when they reached the Shire, Bilbo frowned and shuddered not wanting to think on it any more. 

Sitting in his chair, warm and comfy he couldn't forget the scream. He pictured a young hobbit, out after dark looking for adventures being snatched. The more he though about the more uneasy he got. It was rather sudden when he found himself on his feet. Better safe then sorry, he thought to himself. He grabbed his walking stick and a cloak before walking out of Bag End, not knowing what he would find. 

As he walked the closer he got the shouts the more sure that he was that it was a child. He could no longer hope it was just an animal. He knew it was a child, because the closer he got the more distinct the sounds themselves got. In fact, the closer he got, Bilbo was sure that he started hearing two high childish voices and they sounded frightened. The hobbit gripped his walking stick tightly as he moved closer to the children. They had settled into a clearing and as he silent moved forward he could see now they were not hobbit children, young men, or even elven children, they both had long hair and shoe clad feet, one blond the other dark haired, they had to be the children of dwarves. 

Bilbo set his walking stick down and moved closer, “Hello there,” he called out when he broke the tree line. The blond child shoved the smaller dark headed one behind him and pulled out a small knife. The child bared his teeth like an animal and Bilbo stopped, his mind flashed back to the small hurt animals that he used to bring home to his mother to heal. It was an easy decision to treat them as such, he didn't want to frighten the children more then they already were.

“No need for that now.” He said holding both hands up showing that he was unarmed. He kept his voice soft and calm as he spoke to them, “I'm not going to hurt you.” He promised, his eyes meeting those of the defensive child. The blond growled, a seemed to reinforce his grip. The smaller child peeked carefully from behind the bigger making sure not to move away but also keeping from hindering the other. 

“My name is Bilbo Baggins, I live in the Hobbiton just over the hill, I'm here to help.” Bilbo said with a slight smile hoping that he looked friendly to the frightened children. The dark headed child grinned from over his brother's shoulder, Bilbo noticed with a slightly larger smile. The blond, however, continued to scowl and refused to speak or move. 

“I'm Kili!” The younger male said rather cheerfully, children were rather remarkable creatures no matter their species. So resilient. “This is Fili!” The one dubbed Fili whipped his head around to yell at Kili when Bilbo stopped him. 

“Nice to meet you Kili, Fili.” Bilbo said nodding to the children, seeing no other option he sat himself down on the grass and continued to speak. “As I said, my name is Bilbo Baggins and I heard you shouting. What seems to be the problem?” 

Kili and Fili who were whispering harshly to each other keep sneaking looks at the hobbit as they argued. Bilbo for his part sat there looking as if it were his life's mission to wait for unruly dwarflings to speak to him. Finally as a moment Fili spoke up. “We're hiding.” He said plainly obviously not wanting to speak to the stranger. 

Bilbo raised an eyebrow, “Well you aren't doing very well, now where you? Sitting out in the open like this.” Bilbo paused and wished for his pipe, these children were stressful. “What were you hiding from?” He hopped that they had just gotten upset with their mother and run off, but that didn't explain the knife Fili carried or the fear in the older dwarf's eyes. Someone else was wrong here, Bilbo was sure of it. He prayed that it wasn't the snatchers but he knew deep within him it was most likely. 

“Snatchers.” Fili spat. Bilbo frowned, snatchers in the Shire, this was just what he had hoped wasn't happening. Kili drooped and buried his head in Fili's side. 

“Are you hurt?” Bilbo asked wanting to move forward to check but as long as Fili held the knife he wouldn't. Time was now of the essence, if snatchers where chasing the children then they needed to move. 

Fili frowned and looked Kili over before answering. “No, just bruised, why are you here? Are you with the snatchers?” Kili looked ready to argue with his brother but Bilbo spoke before he could. 

“Oh no, no, I would never!” The hobbit protested, “I heard you shouting and thought to come check, we, us Hobbits, have been hearing tales of snatchers. I'm glad I came, come, we must get to two somewhere safe.” Bilbo stood and looked at Fili praying that he would accept the help. 

“But Mr. Boggins! You don't understand we have to find-” Young Kili was quieted by his brother when the trio heard the sounds of footsteps. Bilbo felt his heart pound within his chest, it was no hobbit that was coming up on them. He gestured for the young ones to hide. Fili looked desperately at the hobbit and Bilbo looked around there was no where for two young dwarflings to hide, seeing no other option he shoved them into a bush with a thud.

Swearing under his breath Bilbo threw himself to the ground hoping that it would look like he had made the noise. From the tree line to his left, two men entered the clearing. Both men appeared to be drunk, Bilbo could smell the stench from his spot on the ground. He pushed himself up with a slowly. These were the snatchers? Bilbo internally shuddered at the thought of why these men would be after the dwarflings. 

“Good evening, my good fellows” He said as cheerfully as he could with frightened dwarflings hiding in the bushes. “What brings you to the Shire this late at night?” He pulled himself to his feet brushing off his trousers and shirt acting as normal as he could. 

One man frowned at the hobbit, “Children, we have lost some.” Bilbo couldn't help but mentally remark on the eloquence of the man, it was obvious why he could not find reputable work.

Bilbo frowned, acting concerned, all the while planning a way to get the young ones away safely. “All children around these parts are tucked into bed, at this hour.” He lied meeting the eyes of the first man, “Why in fact it's time for me to be there myself.” Bilbo gave a weak laugh. “In fact as soon as I find where my walking stick rolled, I'll be headed home. I do wish you luck, finding your children.” Bilbo nodded waiting for the men to leave the clearing. An actor Bilbo Baggins was not, but he hoped and prayed it would be enough to drive the men away. 

The one who had not spoken before coughed and tilted his head in Bilbo's direction, fear shot through his heart did he spot the children? Bilbo turned his head slightly and winced, blond hair was just barely visible through the leaves of the bush. 

“Well, had you gentlemen not be off? You have children to find after all...” Bilbo trailed off, foot steps from behind him suddenly caught his attention. Another man, this one wasn't alone. Bilbo turned just enough to see a dwarf even younger then Kili twisting and fighting in the man's arms. 

“Ori!” Kili shouted from the bush, completely blowing the two's cover. Bilbo's eyes widened and quickly he reached out and brought the children close to him. Fili had once again unsheathed his dagger, Kili ended up pressed between the older dwarf and the slightly shorter hobbit. 

The first man step forward stumbling a bit as he went. “We have no quarrel with you hobbit, the dwarves and you shall go free.” 

The second smiled a slimy, greasy smile and said, “If you take the knife from the blond we might even give you a cut of the profit.”

Bilbo could feel Fili and Kili tense beside them, the youngest dwarf, was sobbing in the arms of the man, and Bilbo knew what he was going to do. 

It wasn't often that hobbits would endanger themselves for others, especially ones that weren't kin, but with two, no three young dwarves in need of his assistance all Bilbo could say was. “No, sorry, I'm afraid that's not going to happen.” 

Angry the first man stepped forward the second quickly following the hobbit stepped in front of the dwarflings. His mind was racing he had to get the baby dwarf from the arms of the man, and get the two behind him as far away from these creatures as possible. Suddenly the man holding Ori shouted and the thump of dwarfling hitting ground was heard. Small swift feet brought the smallest dwarf to the hobbit's side. Faintly Bilbo could hear the man shouting that the dwarf had bit him and Bilbo winced, he was going to have to clean the boy's mouth out now so the child didn't catch anything. 

“Way to go Ori!” Kili said grinning, he obviously didn't grasp the situation at hand but Bilbo didn't have time to explain it to him. Fili hushed the smaller children easily. The men approached, now much angrier then before and a decision had to be made. 

“Run!” Bilbo shouted giving the children a shove in the direction he wanted to run. Fili and Kili took off like rabbits running for all they were worth. Ori stumbled once before Bilbo somehow managed to swing the smallest dwarf onto his back, it wasn't easy as the child wasn't light but Bilbo did his best.

The men, while longer legged were hindered by their drunkenness, stumbled after the dwarves and hobbit. Bilbo huffed and puffed struggling to get the smallest dwarf and himself to safety. In his mind he promised himself to cut back on biscuits at second breakfast, just in case he found himself in this situation again. 

“They're catching up,” Ori said sharply into Bilbo's sensitive ear gritting his teeth the hobbit pushed forward. Ori screamed and Bilbo felt himself falling one of the men caught up enough to grab at the clothing on the dwarf, Bilbo fell forward Ori rolled a few feet away. 

Dazed Bilbo waved the child forward. “Go! Find the others hide!” Bruised tired and confused Bilbo stood, wavering slightly as Ori ran. These men were not going to hurt the child, it didn't matter what else happened, Bilbo was sure of that. Weaponless, hurt it mattered not, Bilbo Baggins was a respectable hobbit and he wasn't going to allow the children to come to harm. No matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Missing scene, Bilbo confronts that Snatchers can be found in the Bagginshield Dwobbits series.

Standing his ground, he pretended that he didn't feel his legs shaking, Bilbo faced the snatchers head on. He didn't feel very confident about this confrontation.He was without a weapon (and even if he did have a weapon, Bilbo had never held more then a kitchen knife in his life!) and without a clear idea of what to do Bilbo embraced his long buried Took side. The hobbit charged right at one of the men and caught that man around the knees. Bilbo threw his weight to one side making the man fall all the while trying to keep himself from getting squished. 

Bilbo released the legs of the now grounded man and turned his attention to the others, they too appeared to be weaponless so at least he was on slightly more even ground. Charging again Bilbo ran at the man with the voice like grease, before he knew it Bilbo found himself swung up into the air, the man had caught on to what he had planned to do and simply picked the halfling up to stop him. 

The hobbit put up quite a fight, Bilbo thrashed and struggled in the arms of his capture, swearing and biting any time he found enough flesh to grab onto. He heard the man cry out and nearly drop him, at least twice, but his feet never touched ground. 

“Help me, someone!” The greasy man cried struggling not to loose his grip on the halfling, soon another pair of hands grabbed the hobbit and Bilbo bemoaned the fact. Still fighting he snapped his teeth at a stray hand that wandered too close to his mouth, kicked at a chest that got too close, sadly it was all for naught. All too soon he found himself gagged, hands tied behind his back, and feet tied together. 

Bilbo muttered angrily behind his gag, as the men argued among themselves. They had wandered back behind the trees taking the bound halfling with them, Bilbo's eyes scanned what little ground he could see trying to find a way out of the mess he had found himself in.

“We have to find the children, the older two especially, or we wont get paid!” The man that had held Ori said as if they other two didn't realize this. The slimy man scowled and shoved at his partner and the other scoffed. 

“We know that, fool! We will find them,” The slimy man turned to the bound and gagged hobbit and smiled, his nasty greasy smile stretched across his face making Bilbo shudder. “And out hobbit friend will tell us exactly where they are.” 

“Start a fire, Ric, we will have to make sure our hobbit friend understands how badly we need to find those brats.” The first man told the last. 'Ric' nodded and began gathering brush to build a fire. Bilbo who had been working frantically to free himself began doubling his efforts to get away. He wanted nothing to do with that fire, nothing at all. 

It took only moments for the men to get a fire started, when the fire grew to an acceptable height, the greasy man bent down and retrieved a small knife from his boot. Bilbo moaned behind his gag and closed his eyes, he suddenly had an idea of how this was going to work. The man named Ric grabbed the hobbit by his bound feet and dragged him closer to the fire. Bilbo's head bounced once and sharp rocks and sticks raked across his back, the gag kept him from crying out. 

The greasy man grinned down at the bound hobbit. “We are going to play a game. I will ask a question and you will answer it, if you don't....” The slimy man nodded over to his nameless friend who was heating his knife blade in the fire. “Well, I'm sure you get the idea....” 

Bilbo inhaled deeply through his nose and felt the the greasy man grip his hair tightly and jerk his head upwards to remove the gag. The hobbit bit back a whimper, now wasn't the time for that. He started straight up, counting the stars in his line of view when he heard the greasy man ask a question. He wouldn't say anything, he couldn't say anything. Bilbo liked to think that even if he did know where the children were hiding he wouldn't say anything. 

“Where are the children?” 

The Tookish part of his brain spat obscene words and snarled viciously at the sadistic men, all the while his eyes never left the stars. One beat, two beats, three beats. Three heart beats later, “Do it.” Bilbo braced himself for the pain, when a shout from his captures made him jerk his eyes away. What? A rock hit the bound hobbit in the stomach and he left out a little 'oof.'

“Sorry Mr. Boggins!” Bilbo shot up fear once again racing through him, Kili that was Kili! As the men scrambled to avoid the rocks being pelted at them, Bilbo scanned the area where the rocks where coming from and saw a single dark head ducking behind a tree. The men obviously saw it as well and scrambled after him. In their haste Bilbo was shoved over, dangerously close to the fire. The hobbit could feel the heat against his skin and flinched, the flames slowly began to lick at his fingers as he tried to scoot away from the burning flames. Closing his eyes Bilbo didn't see the small dwarf feet and as the heat grew he didn't hear the hard breathing of the dwarflings. It was two sharp tugs from his head and feet area that brought the hobbit away from the flames and allowed Bilbo looked up at his saviors. Fili and Ori. 

“What are you doing? What about Kili?” He hissed at the oldest, surely he would have had better sense. The blond was busy sawing at the ropes to reply so the task fell onto the youngest to answer. 

“Well Mr. Boggins, sir, as long as Kili is in the tree they shouldn't be able to get him.” Ori explained trying to untie the knots at his feet. It was simple child's logic, and Bilbo hoped it to be true.

As he lifted his head as best as possible to see, it was with relief that yes, Kili had made it into the tree and no the men had yet to figure out how to follow him. Bilbo gave a relieved sigh that was echoed by Fili's happy little shout when the robes finally gave under the knife. Pulling his hands to his chest Bilbo quickly looked them over, a bit red and tender but nothing that couldn't be handled and there were bigger things to worry about currently. Between the three of them Bilbo,Fili and Ori made quick work of the ropes at his feet and the hobbit stood a bit uneasily. The spots where the ropes were arched fiercely but the halfling ignored it. 

The men shouted and raved at the tree bound dwarf, Kili was laughing and throwing nuts from the tree onto their heads only making matters worse. As the men shouted abuse and threats of death, Bilbo hardened his heart and knew that he needed to do something. “Fili I need your help. We're going to tie them up, okay? When they get closer to the tree you and I will take the rope.” Bilbo picked up the rope that was left from when they tied him up and shouldered it carefully. “Ori I need you to hide until we come get you. Try and climb a tree like Kili, okay?” Ori nodded and took off for the nearest tree. Fili met Bilbo's eyes evenly and the hobbit nodded; it was time to save Kili. 

Bilbo caught the attention of the men easily. Simply being untied was enough of a shock, but the words Bilbo used were not very hobbit like at all, of course the men probably didn't know it but they were shocked all the same. Kili proved to be a very smart young dwarf and distracted them on his end as well. Together Fili and Bilbo managed to lasso the three men and tie them to the tree. Not very happy with his work Bilbo quickly called Kili down, of course the cheeky young dwarf had to make use of the new step ladder that Mr. Boggins and his brother provided. Bilbo enjoyed hearing the curing of the men as they received a dwarf foot to the head or shoulders. Bilbo did wince in sympathy once when young Kili made sure to swing his foot just right to catch the slimy man's groin.

Once safely on the ground and tucked into Fili's side, Bilbo told the children to go find Ori. Bilbo didn't want them around for this talk. Fili left with a knowing look in his eyes, his dagger on the ground where he had set it to help pull the rope tight. Bilbo walked over to the knife and met the eyes of the slimy man. “Now we are playing my game.” 

–

It didn't take long to find Ori, as Fili could easily see the youngest dwarf's foot hanging off the branch. He hadn't even picked a very high one. Deciding to be mean now that the danger had passed, Fili grabbed the foot and yanked pulling the younger dwarf off the branch with a cry. Kili laughed the whole time even as Ori teared up, sitting on the ground in front of the brothers. 

“Why'd you do that?” Ori cried rubbing at his eyes, he didn't mean to be a cry baby but he had a rough night. He wasn't a tough as Fili and Kili, he just wanted Dori and Nori, he wanted to go home. 

“You baby you weren't hiding very well, what if we were the men? Huh? They would have gotten you...again!” Kili teased with a grin still tucked into his brother's side. While he had been scared by the men it was over now and he thought this was just a grand adventure and he couldn't wait to tell Uncle Thorin all about it.

“He's right, Ori, what if we were the men? They would have gotten you again.” Fili scolded trying to act older then he was. Fili had one hand tightly gripping his brother's tunic, unwilling to get go. "Come on, you big baby, we've got to get back to Mr. Boggins," Fili told the youngest dwarf, he had decided that since the oldest, and since Mr. Boggins wasn't around, that made him in charge. It was his job to look after the babies. 

Ori sniffed and wiped at his nose with his hand but didn't reply or get up. He just wanted to go home where it was warm and safe. Blinking wetly Ori caught sight of the dwarflings savior as he walked unsteadily toward the trio.

“Ori, dear, please don't use your hand to wipe your nose.” Bilbo said coming up behind the dwarves, Fili and Kili jumped and whirled around ready to run or fight before relaxing at the sight of their 'Mr. Boggins.' Bilbo himself felt rather jumpy so he didn't comment. He patted the two standing dwarves and focused on little Ori.

Bilbo crouched down next to the younger dwarf,happy to be closer to the ground as he shook less, and offered a handkerchief to the child. Bilbo brought the handkerchief up to the dwarf's nose when the child made no move to take it, “Blow.” Ori gave a mighty blow and Bilbo smiled slightly and tossed the dirty piece of cloth behind him. “Now, because I don't know what to do with small dwarf children in the middle of the night, you all will come with me, get some sleep and we will settle this in the morning, yes?” Bilbo looked at Fili to see if he could object. The eldest dwarf nodded and Kili not wanting to be left out nodded as well. 

Smiling to himself, a stiff hard smile, Bilbo stood from his squatting position and helped Ori to his feet. “Come along now, when we get to Bag End I'll get up something hot to drink and then it's off to bed.” All Bilbo could thing about was his Hobbit Hole, his warm bed and forgetting this night had ever happened. 

“Where's Bag End, Mr. Boggins?” Kili asked grasping Bilbo's hand that wasn't holding Ori's.

Bilbo smiled this time a real smile, “Mr. Baggins, Kili, Baggins." he paused, "Of course after what we went through tonight I can't imagine you calling me that, so Bilbo will do just fine thank you.” Kili nodded seriously and peppered the tired hobbit with more questions. As they walked Bilbo explained what Bag End was, what Bilbo himself was, and generally listened to Kili babble. 

If Fili noticed that Bilbo walked them away from the tree where the men were tied he didn't mentioned it. No one did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bed, breakfast and Bilbo asks some questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of filler chapter. Hopefully the next will be more exciting.

Settling into Bag End was easier said then done. With three very tired children who had just had a horrible night it was easy to understand why it wasn't easy to settle them. Bilbo sat them down, wrapped them up and gave all three a nice glass of warm milk.It didn't take long for the children to start drifting off, Ori began to nod off first so Bilbo took his cup and sat it on the table. “I'll take him back, you two sit still and I'll come back for you, alright?” Fili nodded sleepily and Kili took another drink to hide a yawn. 

Bilbo and Ori worked together to get the littlest dwarf washed up the best they could and tucked into the guest room that the three would share. With little Ori tucked away, Bilbo set his sights on Kili. It took a moment to wrestle away to cup and them pry the child from his brother but Bilbo managed, barely. Fili was too asleep to notice at this point and barely managed to keep himself sitting up. After washing the grumpy dwarfling Bilbo tucked him in to bed and smiled when Ori cuddled the slightly bigger Kili. 

When he returned for his final charge, Bilbo wasn't surprised to see Fili fighting to stay awake. “Come, lets get you to bed.” 

Fili shook his head. “Can't, snatchers.” The dwarflings eyes slipped down and he pried them back open with pure force of will. "Wont let them take us again." 

Bilbo exhaled softly and put his hand on the young man's face. “They can't hurt you anymore. I've made sure of that.” Bilbo didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to mention it, he just wanted it to go away, forever. Intellectually he knew that it wouldn't, the memories would haunt him for quite a bit longer, but tonight Fili needed the reassurance. He needed to know that the snatchers couldn't hurt any more.

Fili gave the hobbit a slightly confused look before the words caught up to his brain. Fili smiled slightly as he stumbled behind Bilbo and let the hobbit rinse some of the dirt from his skin before being tucked into bed like a child. After a moment's hesitation Bilbo left the room and returned with the dagger that Fili had loaned him. The three children were asleep and after watching them sleep for a moment Bilbo climbed up on the bed curling himself up into a little hobbit ball at the foot of the bed. He was unwilling to let the children go unprotected not tonight. Sleep didn't take the hobbit that night, but that was alright. The knife never left his hand and Bilbo knew that if someone had walked through the door he would have used it. 

–

Bilbo was up before the sun, he watched the Shire awaken and he heard the screams when the bodies were found. He was sure that everyone would believe that drunken men had wondered too close to the Shire and ate the wrong plant it had happened before long ago. Luckily, early before the rest of the hobbits had risen Bilbo had gone out and made sure that's what it looked like. He drug the men to their fire hidden the rope and left. He couldn't do much more then that. 

After cleaning up his murder scene, Bilbo tried to focus on making breakfast, instead of watching when they brought the bodies into the Shire. Scones, eggs, bacon, food piled up on the table. It was almost enough to feed two hobbits, which meant three dwarflings and one hobbit could finish it off easy. His thoughts whispered traitorously, but the hobbit managed to push them back. He instead focused on the food and frowned at the amount of food. He might need to make more. 

Just as he turned to the stove to make more food a little head stuck itself out of the door. “Mr. Boggins? er... Bilbo, sir?” Little Ori stood at the door way. “Where is the bathroom?”

Bilbo smiled at the child and showed him the way. “Make sure to wash up for breakfast, when your done come eat,” He told the dwarfling. Ori's head bobbed affirmative as he entered the wash room. Leaving Ori to his privacy Bilbo turned his attention to the other two dwarflings in his home. He had yet to hear a peep from them and it was a little unnerving. 

Bilbo peeked into the bedroom and had to stuff his fist into his mouth to cover his cooing. Somehow, Kili had ended up curling up on his brothers chest like a large cat. Fili had a face full of his brother's hair but was still snoring like a champion. Loath as he was to wake them Bilbo knew that he needed too, lest breakfast go cold. 

“Fili.” Bilbo called out not wanting to startle the children. No reaction. “Kili!” Bilbo said a little louder. Still nothing. Bilbo was at a loss, he wasn't sure how to wake them without scaring them. “Breakfast time, boys, get up.” he said louder. Still nothing. Cautiously Bilbo moved in to shake Kili's shoulder. Still nothing. 

Frowning, if they weren't snoring so loud Bilbo would have thought they were dead. Shaking his head he was about to get Ori when he heard the dwarfling's voice from behind him. “That's not how you do it, Mr. Bilbo. It's like this.” With a running jump, Ori sailed onto the bed with a scream. He began hopping and shouting. “Breakfast time, breakfast time! I'm going to eat it all!” 

Fili woke right away. “Shut up Ori. I'm sleeping,” he sat sitting up to glare at the still jumping and grinning dwarfling. A disgruntled Kili slipped into his brother's lap. 

“Whacha gotta yell for?” He complained rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. Bilbo restrained another coo, it wasn't fair that dwarflings were so cute. 

“Mr. Bilbo said it's breakfast time and it smells really good. Get up!” Ori whined tugging on Fili's hand. 

Fili grumbled but stood, Kili who was still sitting on his brother, until that point, tumbled and fell to the floor. Ori snickered and helped his friend up while Bilbo watched from the door with a smile. This was nice. “Go wash up, Fili, you too Kili and then we can start breakfast.” 

Fili and Kili both brightened at the thought of food so Bilbo and Ori walked back into the kitchen to start setting up. Just as Bilbo finished filled Ori's plate Kili sauntered into the kitchen and took his place. Bilbo raised an eyebrow at the youngster and had to ask. “Where's Fili?” No answer, just a smug looking little dwarf that took his seat at the table. Bilbo rolled his eyes and filled Kili's plate and sighed when he heard angry stomps from the bathroom. “What did you do, Kili?” While Bilbo didn't have siblings he was sure that having mean cousins was about the same. So he expected that Kili had done something to irritate the eldest dwarf. 

Kili just smiled and started his breakfast. Fili entered the kitchen cursing and waving his hands angrily he looked like he wanted more then to wring his brother's neck. Bilbo put a stop to that right away. “None of that now. Sit down and eat your breakfast. We will discuss this after you eat. One more word like that and I'll wash your mouth out. This is my home and I will not tolerate such language.” 

Fili blushed red and sat down quietly, he didn't like being scolded by the hobbit. The four ate in silence, all lost in their respective thoughts. Bilbo's mind was whirling with thoughts of his dark night. The hobbit did what he could to think about other things. Breakfast, his books, dwarves. Yes, dwarflings, Bibo decided to focus on the dwarflings. He had three dwarflings that belong elsewhere, in his home. It was all rather confusing when he thought about it too long or too hard. 

The three boys finished about the same time, and Bilbo soon after, with breakfast done and the plates stacked in the kitchen to be washed Bilbo sat back down at the table with the boys read to find some answers. Kili was sitting in his chair kicking his feet as high as they could go. Ori was tilting his head back as far as he could to stare at the ceiling and Fili as digging at his teeth as if something was stuck. Bilbo wanted to sigh, this was why he didn't want children. 

“Alright boys. Time to talk. First things first. How did you end up here?” Bilbo wasn't really sure what question to ask first but in the end he decided at random. It was Kili that answered, surprisingly. 

“The snatchers, caught us playing outside. Uncle Thorin and Ma were inside talking about boring adult stuff and we were just playing and this guy comes along and just snatches up Ori! Then a troll walks up and-” Bilbo reached across the table and pressed a finger to the child's lips. He didn't have time for the child's stories. 

Bilbo smiled kindly at the boy, “Thank you, Kili, now give the others a turn.” It seemed Kili was a storyteller, Bilbo would have to watch that. “Ori, Fili?” 

Fili huffed and rolled his eyes, “Stupid little brother. That's not what happened.” Fili met Bilbo's eyes and gave the hobbit a long suffering look. Bilbo had to bite back a smile but nodded all the same to get the boy to talk. “We were sitting outside waiting on Ma and Uncle Thorin, but those men came by and said that they were troll hunters. Kili jumped up and asked to go hunt a troll with them.” Fili glared at his brother. “Ori tried to tell him not to talk to the men but Kili would not shut up. The men snatched up Ori when he mentioned going to tell his brothers, then grabbed Kili!” Fili said frustrated, Bilbo hushed the little ones before they could say anything. 

“I saw them as they were leaving. I almost lost them. Uncle Thorin left me in charge and I almost lost them." Fili slammed his closed fist down on the table. "I let us get snatched and I couldn't protect them. Uncle Thorin is going to be so mad!” Frustrated tears pooled in the blond's eyes. Bilbo wanted to comfort the child but he didn't. He wasn't sure if he could. “I followed them for a few miles and they caught me too! They made us drink some that made us sleepy. When we woke up we were so far away. It's been days since we have seen Ma and Uncle Thorin.” Ori sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, he too looked as if he wanted to cry. Kili was sitting with his arms crossed letting his hair cover his face. “I wanna go home.” Fili whispered staring at the table. 

Bilbo sighed and stood from his seat, he couldn't just let the children suffer like this. Giving into urge that he had moments before he walked around to the other side of the table able and hugged the children close to him. “We will get you back to them, do not doubt that.” Taking his new seat next to the dwarflings he asked another question. 

“Did they hurt you?” This was mostly toward Fili but Ori answered. 

“They kicked Fili a lot. And slapped Kili. I was quiet.” He seemed ashamed of himself for not getting hurt. Bilbo wanted to bang his head against the table. Dwarfs, even little ones were stubborn pains. 

“Okay, so it'll be a trip to the doctor after second breakast. Now I'm going to be sending out letters so that your families can come find you.” Bilbo explained. “For Fili and Kili it will be their mother and uncle. What about your Ori?”

“Dori and Nori, my brothers.”

Bilbo nodded, “Alright after the doctor we will sit down and write the letters, how does that sound?”

Kili and Ori nodded while Fili looked disgruntled at the thought of going to the doctor. Bilbo just laughed and ruffled the blond's hair before standing. “Come now, we have things to do before second breakfast. A trip to the market, Kili, Ori will you come with me? Fili you can stay and get some sleep if you would like.” He hadn't liked hearing that Fili had taken a brunt of the damage, it made his heart hurt.

When Bilbo touched Fili's head he noticed the dwarf seemed a bit warm and he was hoping that sleep without the two younger ones would be tempting enough for the elder to stay home, luckily it was.

Bilbo tucked Fili back into bed with care and dressed the younger dwarves properly and left the house. Before they did though, Bilbo tucked back in for a moment. He went into the room where they had all slept the night before and took the dagger out from under the bed and placed it in Fili's hand. Sleepily the blond's eyes blinked opened and then his hand tightened and he tucked it under the pillow. Feeling better Bilbo rushed back out side. There was a lot to do before second breakfast and he needed to get a move on, or they would be late. And Hobbits were never late to second breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo doesn't get nearly as much as he would like done and Kili is a brat.

Fili was good at faking sleep, many times he had gotten out of watching Kili by pretending to be asleep. Of course it didn't always work, sometimes his mother or even Uncle Thorin would simply wake him up and shove the smaller dwarf at him. Fili didn't like those days because it meant that they were low on food and that Ma and Uncle Thorin were worried. 

Shaking his head Fili sat up the dagger that he had loaned Mr. Boggins...er Mr. Bilbo still in his hand. Fili's head spun slightly and the breakfast he just ate threatened to come up. Fili who knew better then to waste good food, clamped his knife free hand down over his mouth and breathed deeply through his nose. He couldn't risk getting sick, food had to stay down. 

Shuddering all over at the feeling, Fili waited until he felt that he could move. Slowly he eased out of the bed, his bare feet hit the floor with a light thump. Fili wasn't quite sure what a Hobbit was, he had never met one before last night and since he hadn't had the chance to explore he thought that now would be a good time. After all what if the hobbit was simply another snatcher? 

Fili's brain happily reminded him that the hobbit had probably killed the snatchers from last night, but Fili had always been good at ignoring what his brain told him. Though unsteady as he walked Fili kept the knife in his hand, and padded through the door. He wasn't sure what he was expecting a Hobbit Hole to look like. It looked nothing like a hole and more like a home. A small round home, but still a home. Fili swayed a bit and rested against the wall. Maybe he should go back to bed, he really wasn't feeling well. Shaking his head and swiftly regretting it Fili whimpered and let the knife slip from his fingers. He needed to explore and then get back to bed, had to make sure Mr. Boggins was safe. 

Pushing himself away from the wall Fili managed a few steps and fell into a door, curious he pushed the door open and found himself in a room with a writing desk. Brows furrowed he stepped in closer, curious as to what he could find. Slowly he made his way around the room knocking over piles of books, and disrupting papers making them fly everywhere. Fili never found anything that shouted Mr. Bilbo was a bad guy so Fili left the room and the mess to find another. 

Stumbling through the hobbit hole Fili didn't notice the trail of devastation he left in his wake. Every room he entered he disrupted at least one thing, he broke a vase in the hall, knocked over books, sent papers flying and generally left a mess. The worst of it of course was when Fili wandered into the pantry and found small piece of bread. Still hungry the dwarfling tried to eat it and quickly found his stomach didn't like the idea, and all his hard work from earlier trying so hard to keep his food in his stomach was lost. Crying and gagging the little dwarf doubled over emptying the contents of his stomach onto the pantry floor. 

Sobbing Fili flung his hair back and cried as some of the vomit slung up around him. Shivering and crying the sick little dwarfling stumbled back toward the bedroom. Fili gagged every time he caught the smell of his sick in his hair, “Ma! Ma! Uncle!” Fili cried unable to understand why his family was letting him suffer like this. Lost and confused he stopped in the middle of the floor curled up into a ball and cried. He wanted Kili, he wanted Thorin, he wanted his mother. Fili wanted to go home. 

–

The market was a funny place, hobbits filled the streets trying to find the food they wanted for whatever meal was closest. Bilbo kept the children as close to him as possible. Before entering the fray he made Kili and Ori promise to hold tight to his coat so as not to lose them. Ori he wasn't worried about, the littlest dwarf had far too much excitement the night before and wanted nothing to do with anything similar. Kili on the other hand was bouncing around happy as could be, ready to see the Shire, see the hobbits and generally make a nuisance of himself. 

Bilbo never had much experience with children, his own cousins were easily handled by their mothers and Bilbo was the only child of Bungo and Belladonna so he never had any siblings to deal with. As they walked through the streets he couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing. His mind refused to think to hard on the happenings of last night but Bilbo could easily ponder if he had done right by the children. He had left a possibly feverish dwarfling with a knife but Fili knew how to handle a blade, that much was obvious. 

Bilbo frowned as his thoughts continued to spin, and generally make a mess of his mind as he was supposed to be shopping. “Mr. Boggins, that hobbit is talking to you.” Kili said tugging on Bilbo's coat. The bright voice of the dwarfling brought the halfling out of his thoughts. Bilbo smiled apologetic at the hobbit, who was giving him such a curious look, and said almost absentmindedly to Kili. 

“Bilbo, please Kili or at least Mr. Baggins. I'm afraid I don't know a Boggins.” The hobbit said cheekily. When focusing on the children it allowed him to ignore the night before. As long as he focused on them everything was alright. Turning his attention back to the hobbit in question Bilbo began his shopping trip in earnest all the while picturing the dwarfling in the back of his mind.

While their esteemed Mr. Boggins was busy Kili and Ori were taking in the sights. Never before had they seen a Hobbit's Market. It was much different then the markets of men, and even different then the dealings that they had seen their kin do. 

“Look at their feet!” Ori whispered pointing at a woman's feet. They were covered in hair and shoeless. Kili blinked in surprise before puffing up. 

“Their hobbits, Ori! Of course their feet look like that.” Kili said in a superior whisper. Ori didn't notice Kili's eyes wandering to the feet of their hobbit and breathing a sigh of relief when he too had the hairy feet that that the female had. Ori ignored the dark haired dwarf and stared even more at the hobbits. They were nice looking, kind of fat, but other then that Ori liked them, they looked nice. The littlest dwarf followed along obediently when Bilbo walked off to the next stall. 

Kili followed along with a frown, this was boring. He had hoped that the market would be like the ones he had been to with Uncle Thorin but this was nothing like those. His eyes too scanned the market and while Ori liked the looks of the hobbit Kili thought they were a bit funny looking. None of them had beards and they had hairy feet. Blowing his hair out of his face, Kili resigned himself to standing their bored holding onto Mr. Bilbo's coattails until second breakfast, what every that was. 

A giggle from behind the dwarflings caught their attention. They stood a curly headed hobbit girl. She wasn't very tall, shorter then both Kili and Ori she had a wide smile on her face and was laughing at them having to stick so closely to their hobbit savior. Kili scowled he didn't like her, she was weird, even stranger then his Ma who giggled like that sometimes when Master Dwalin came by. 

“Go away!” Kili whispered loudly. Bilbo spared a look back at his dwarfling who smiled innocently back at him. Rolling his eyes in a very Tookish fashion Bilbo returned to his dealings. 

The little hobbit girl shook her head and giggle again. She stared at Kili and then at Ori. “You've got a big nose.” The little hobbit said, pointing at Ori's face. Ori puffed up, proud that she had noticed. The hobbit girl turned to Kili. “You're pretty, are you an elf?” 

Ori had seconds to grab Kili before he charged the hobbit girl, yelling and squirming shouting words that he had learn from his Uncle Thorin. “Mr. Bilbo! Help!” Ori cried trying to keep his friend from hurting the little hobbit girl who didn't know what she did to offend the cute little boy she had been trying to befriend. 

Bilbo turned eyes wide, his simple trip to the market was turning out to be much different then what he had planed. 

–  
The trio entered Bag Eng loudly. Bilbo had Kili by the ear with Ori carrying what few packages that they had managed to buy before Kili ruined the shopping trip. Bilbo unlocked the door with a few choice words for the pouting dwarfling. 

“I can't believe you. We weren't out for an hour and you nearly attacked that poor girl. Kili, really I-” Bilbo stopped the house was a mess, it looked as if someone had broken in. Fear for Fili swept through him. “Go! Stay outside, out of sight until I tell you otherwise. Now!” Ori dropped the food and he and Kili hid in the garden as Bilbo entered the house. 

“Fili? Fili are you there?” he called out softly, as he walked through the hobbit hole. Bilbo let his eyes wander as he searched for a sign of the dwarfling that he had left home for not even an hour. His mind race, what if more snatchers had come? What if they had taken the child? Bilbo couldn't imagine brave little Fili being eaten by orcs, it was too horrible to imagine. 

“No...” the knife that he had placed in the child's hand before he left was there on the floor. Bilbo snatched up the dagger, fear eating away at his mind. He had to find Fili. Now. 

Walking further into the hobbit hole Bilbo paused, moaning...Quietly he followed the sound until he found a ball of sick little dwarfling. Bilbo couldn't help but cry out. Fili was safe. Dropping the knife he ran to the child. Bilbo didn't care that he was covered in the sick that the child was covered in. Bilbo didn't care that the child fought him until he recognized 'Mr. Boggins'. Bilbo didn't even mind the tears that soaked through his shirt. All that mattered was that Fili was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not exactly where I wanted to end it but it seemed the best place. Ended up splitting the chapter into two parts.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changing some hobbit lore to fit my needs. Yeah lets see if you can guess what I changed because it's not obvious yet.

Torn between soothing the frightened dwarves in his garden and dealing with the sick one in his lap. Bilbo decided to move Fili first as he was the immediate concern. Bilbo struggled to get the dwarfling back into a bedroom, all the while wondering just what had happened why he was gone. The only idea he had was that maybe Fili stumbled out of bed, and had gotten confused as to where he was. It seemed probable enough. Shaking the thoughts away, Bilbo set about laying the sick child on the bed. Fili whined so pathetically it made Bilbo's heart hurt. He soothed the child with soft words and pats. “I'll be right back, I just have to go get Kili and Ori.” Fili sniffed a bit and whimpered as the hobbit left the room. 

Hurrying he scooped up the grocery bags and stuck his head out the door. “Come, come, it is safe.” Kili's head popped out first, eyes narrowed as if he wasn't sure if he trusted the hobbit. “Fili is ill, come along, we have to start trying to get him well again.” 

At the mention that Fili was ill Kili jumped up and ran for the door. Ori followed swiftly behind. Bilbo had to move aside to keep from getting bowled over by a worried little dwarfling. Ori stopped running when he reached the house while Kili ran all the way to his brother. 

“Is Fili going to be alright Mr. Bilbo?” Ori asked fiddling with the hem of his tunic. Bilbo bit his lip and placed his hand on the dwarflings shoulder and gave him a pat. Ori frowned and followed the hobbit back into his hole. 

Bilbo waved Ori off and told him that he could watch Kili and Fili but he couldn't get too close, as he wasn't sure if what the Dwarfling had was contagious or just from the enormous amount of stress that he had bee under. Bilbo had a feeling that the men hadn't been shy about their intentions with the dwarflings and Bilbo feared that the stress from trying to protect young Ori and Kili was the cause of the sickness. 

“Kili, Ori come here a moment.” Bilbo called out. Ori came first and soon a reluctant Kili followed soon after. Bilbo smiled thankfully at them. “I need your help carrying this.” He motioned to the items he had selected to help with the sick child. Kili scowled ferociously but gathered up a few things, as if he couldn't believe that he had been torn away from his brother for simply acting as a pack pony. Bilbo bit his tongue and helped Ori load up his items before taking the heaviest for himself. 

The bedroom smelt of sickness, and the poor dwarfling still had vomit in his hair and his skin was soaked with sweat. Bilbo sighed softly and softly thanked Ori and asked that he go play either in the garden or in somewhere in the house. Bilbo had a feeling that Fili had a lot of pride for being such a young dwarf and that he wouldn't want anyone to see him like this. Ori left uncertain but he left all the same leaving Kili as the final obstacle. 

“Kili, go play with Ori. We do not want you getting sick too.” Bilbo told Kili, the dwarfling scowled angrily and turned back to his brother, ignoring the hobbit. Bilbo tried again, “I promise to take good care of him, Kili. Nothing will harm him here.” The hobbit could almost see the youngster give in, Kili was such a trusting little thing. It made Bilbo's heart hurt that he could still trust after the incident with the snatchers. “I need you to protect Ori while I try and make Fili feel better. Can you do that for me?” 

Kili looked from his brother to the hobbit and after a long while he nodded. “I'll watch Ori.” he whispered. Kili hopped off the bed and turned to the door. Kili turned to face the hobbit just before he left. Bilbo met the dwarflings eyes with ease, Kili suddenly looked years older his voice was strong and Bilbo knew that he spoke the truth. “Keep him safe Mr. Boggins. Or I'll never forgive you.”

–

“How much further, Thorin?” A deep, but feminine voice asked. 

“Not too much longer, sister. Be calm we will find them.” 

–

“Kili...I want to go home.” Ori said sitting side by side with the older dwarf. Kili nodded but didn't reply. “Mr. Bilbo is nice but I miss Dori and Nori...I just want to go home.” Tears welled up in the dwarfling's eyes and Kili continued to ignored the younger dwarf. His mind was firmly on his brother, while he agreed with Ori that Mr. Bilbo was nice he too wanted to go home. He missed his mother, and Uncle Thorin. They only boon that had been granted him was Fili. Kili couldn't imagine what would have happened had Fili not been with them. 

The two dwarflings sat together on the front step of Bag End looking hopefully out at the road. Hoping, wishing that they would see some sort of familiar figure on the horizon. None were seen.

“Come now, surely I am not so horrible a host?” The dwarflings jumped at the unexpected voice from behind them. There stood Mr. Bilbo, slightly damp but smiling all the same. Kili jumped up, little Ori not far behind him both yammering questions about the ill elder dwarf. Bilbo silenced the children with a raise of his hand. “Hush now, let me speak. Fili is doing well. His fever has gone down and he is sleeping now.” 

Kili frowned and crossed his arms. “I wanna see Fee!” Bilbo blinked and worked hard to resist a smile, the little dwarf looked ever so cute pouting as he was. Ori ever trying to catch the eye of the elder dwarf soon copied Kili's stance. 

Bilbo laughed his first laugh in a long while. “How about this? I will start lunch, since we missed two very important meals already and then after we have been all fed and watered, if Fili is awake you may play quietly with him” Bilbo knew that Fili wasn't going to wake before dinner not with the sleeping medicine that he had been given. Bilbo had taken it more then enough as a child he knew how long they lasted. Luckily the children did not and agreed easily. 

Bilbo sat them at the table and made a quick cold lunch. All throughout the meal, Kili babbled and Ori latched onto every word spoke. Bilbo contented himself with smiles and soft, small words when needed. His mind lost between the fear from the night before and the terror of the early morning. Ever so often a small hand would touch his arm and Bilbo would find Ori looking at him with concern that a child should not know. 

The meal was short and Bilbo allowed the children to peek in at Fili, Kili was of course distressed when he found his brother still sleeping. Bilbo swore that the child was alright, just sleeping to get better. 

“Mr. Bilbo, can we write that letter now? To send to Uncle Thorin.” Kili asked as the hobbit cleared away the plates. Ori nodded frantically and Bilbo paused in thought had it only been this morning that he had promised that?

“Of course...after we clean the house. Fili made a bit of a mess this morning while we were gone.” Bilbo said when remembered the mess the dwarfling had made of the hobbit hole. Even sweet little Ori had a look of distaste on his face a the mention of cleaning up. Bilbo gave a short laugh. “Come now, surely even dwarves have to pick up after themselves?” 

“Ourselves, not icky sick people.” Was Ori's reply.

“Fili is not icky!” Kili shouted puffing up like an angry cat. 

“Is too!” Ori said back scrunching up his face in remembrance of the vomit in the young dwarf's hair.

Bilbo laughed and settled the fight. “I thing you are all a bit 'icky' myself, your not hobbits after all.” he said slyly. Suddenly bother Ori and Kili were up in arms, defending dwarves to their hobbit host. 

–

They had just finished the letter, and passed it off to various hobbit in hopes of getting it to one of the Rangers that were coming to deal with the bodies found on the edge of the Shire. Bilbo hoped it would find the elder dwarves soon so the children could rest easy. 

“When will Fili wake?" Kili didn't let the question be answered before asking another. "Mr. Boggins, can Ori and I go play in the garden?” Kili was bored sitting around the hobbit hole. Bilbo didn't have children and he hadn't been prepared to have children stay for an unspecified amount of time so he had nothing to entertain the children with. 

Now after checking on Fili once more and finding him still asleep Kili was bored out of his little dwarfian mind. Ori had been easy distracted by Bilbo's knitting, insisting that Bilbo teach him how to do it. With a happy smile, Bilbo taught the young dwarf how to hold the knitting needles and how to begin as it turned out Ori was quite a little knitting genius. Ori was slowly working on his first scarf. Kili had taken one look as the task and firmly refused learning, claiming it was far too boring. 

“It's almost time for dinner, lad, if you were to play outside now you would have to take a bath before dinner!” Bilbo cautioned. The mention of the word bath was more then enough to change the youngsters mind and bring a pout to his face. Bilbo thought for a moment. “How about I tell you a little more about hobbits, maybe even a story or two?” 

“Oh, please Mr. Bilbo I love stories! Can you please tell one?” Ori asked as he paused his kitting. Kili looked skeptical but nodded anyway. 

Bilbo closed the book he had been thumbing through and thought. Where to start. “First I will tell you a little more about hobbits. You see we hobbits are funny things, with out hairy feet.” Bilbo raised his foot as an example. Kili nodded seriously and Ori laughed. 

“And our prim and proper manners. You young dwarves are the epitome of what an Outsider is to us.”

Kili interrupted, “What an outsider?” He asked curiously.

Bilbo answered easily, “Anyone that is not a hobbit.” He smiled a bit and continued. “We never get very big. In fact the men mostly call us Little Folk, but then again you dwarves do not get much taller then we do. We live longer then men, but you dwarves age like the mountains you hail from. We hobbits would much rather live out our days with warm toes and full bellies then do it any other way. ” Bilbo gave a smile and moved on in his storytelling.

“Now that you know a bit more about us, let me tell you, have you ever heard of the game golf?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fili is still sick, Ori is cute and Kili is a cheer leader. Bilbo gets some comfort too!

The day ended much calmer then the night before. There were no screams of terror, there were no too close flames, or horrible stories of murdered children, no frightened dwarflings, just a muffled cough and the snores that echoed throughout the hobbit hole. Bilbo found himself tucked away in his own bed that night. Kili and Ori in a bedroom, and Fili conked out in his own room so as not to share the sickness.

Bilbo's mind was racing away, twisting and turning whispering things to provoke more and more thought, at a time that all good little hobbits should be asleep. As much as he wished for sleep, the horrors of the night before were fresh in his mind. As he laid in the dark he couldn't help but wonder if he did the correct thing. The question was slowly eating away at him, he saw the eyes of the men as they went blank and their lives ended. Bilbo shivered and pulled the thick blanket over his body tighter. 

Bilbo turned upon his side and curled up into a tight ball, he thought of the evil, horrible picture that the men had painted for him with their words. A soft whimper escaped his lips. He felt sick at what he had done, during the day he had a way of focusing on the dwarflings so that it masked these feelings. At night, in his bed, surrounded by only his own accusing thoughts Bilbo was helpless to fight off the tide that his mind supplied. 

Softly so as not to wake the children, he allowed himself to sob. Tears welled up from his eyes and his body shook, as his shoulders heaved. It wasn't until two sets of small arms wrapped him in a hug that Bilbo noticed that he wasn't alone. 

“What, what are you doing up?” Bilbo asked his voice tight with tears. Ori said nothing and wormed his body in closer to Bilbo's own.

“We had nightmares.” Kili whispered crawling over the hobbit. Soon Bilbo found himself surrounded by dwarflings, one on each side, heads tucked into his chest. “Can we stay with you?” Kili asked softly, as if he feared that speaking louder would get them cast from the bed.

Bilbo didn't speak, he just nodded and grabbed tightly to the nightshirts he had put the children in before tucking them in hours before. He couldn't speak and silent sobs still rocked through him, but there surrounded by two of the three dwarflings that he had saved Bilbo could not and would not say that he regretted what he had done. 

–

Fili arose with the sun, and unfortunately so did his illness. The sound of distressed dwarfling was what roused Bilbo from his sleep. When he heard Fili suffering a room over, he carefully extracted himself from the two little dwarflings that had managed to latch onto him rather tightly during the night. After a near miss, when Kili hesitated to latch onto Ori and instead Ori had to initiate the cuddling, Bilbo escaped easily. 

Bilbo reached Fili in record time after a quick pit stop to get the youngster a glass of water and the hobbit was greeted with the smell of bile. Frowning Bilbo sat down on the bed near Fili's feet. Fili had manged to get it into the bucket that was at his bedside for that very purpose luckily and his hair had been pulled back to stop a repeat from yesterday but the dry heaves were tormenting him. 

The hobbit, carefully rubbed Fili's back, whispering words of comfort. “Hush now, lad. Breath for me, come on I know you can do it.” Fili tried valiantly to do as asked and eventually calmed enough to speak. 

“I don't feel good, Mr. Boggins.” The young dwarf's eyes were bloodshot and sweat once again clung to his skin. Bilbo was unhappy to see that he was shivering ever so slightly. It appeared that it was not as he had hoped, a stress illness. 

“I know you feel rotten, lad, but come now take a drink it will help settle your stomach to have something in it,” Bilbo said lifting the glass to try and urge the child to drink. Fili whined but obediently took a small sip. The cool refreshing water felt wonderful on his poor abused throat. 

“Mr. Boggins, what's wrong with me?” Fili asked looking up with fevered eyes at the hobbit. Bilbo frowned and pressed his hand to the youth's forehead. 

“I do not know, but I intend to find out.” Bilbo said with steel underlying his voice. “I will go out and get the doctor today.” When Fili rather suddenly turned a spectacular shade of green and then promptly lost the water he had just drank, Bilbo shuddered and rephrased. “On second thought, I will send for the doctor. We will await him here.” 

–

Bilbo had greeted the man with a strained smile and a clasped hand. Ori and Kili watched from behind a door as their Mr. Boggins brought the stranger into their home. The hobbit doctor was unlike anything the little dwarves had ever seen.He was plump and cheerful, he had gray in his hair and lines on his face but he wasn't Mr. Bilbo.

“Thank you for coming, Doctor.” Bilbo said sounding much more relieved then he cared to admit. He wasn't an expert on hobbit children so sick dwarven children were a complete and utter mystery to the master of Bag End. Though he would admit that he was slowly getting the hang of dealing with them, very slowly. 

“It was not a problem, young Bilbo, I must admit that we have been rather curious about your....guests.” The doctor hobbit gave Bilbo a curious look. “You have attained a bit of a reputation as of late, lad. With your rowdy younglings and of course your previous reputation that followed you from your own days as a youth. Why with the way one of them acted in the market, we have to wonder, how you came about them. Surely you understand, Bilbo.” The doctor gave Bilbo what he believed to be an understanding look.

Bilbo narrowed his eyes. So the others in the Shire didn't like the dwarflings, if he had to guess why it had something to do with Kili's run in with the little Brandybuck girl. Feeling insulted on behalf of the children Bilbo spoke with a voice like ice. “Yes, well, I suppose it's the Took blood within me. My mother was never one to turn away guests and I find that I am indeed my mother's son. Now I believe that I asked you to come here in a professional sense? I do have a sick child in the next room, please when you feel like acting as an adult again, follow me and we can see about getting him better.” 

With that Bilbo turned on his heel, leaving the stunned older hobbit standing mouth agape in the parlor. 

“You meanie! Mr. Bilbo is very nice and you should be nice to him!” Shouted Ori. The dwarfling ran up to the doctor and soundly kicked him in the shin. Kili hooted and hollered cheering on the normally passive dwarfling before deciding it was time to retreat. Kili the mast mischief maker that he was, grabbed Ori by the hand and left the stunned, stuffy old hobbit standing alone. 

Bilbo smiled into his hand as he listened to the sound defense that Ori had presented for him. When two giggling children entered Fili's sick room he turned to them sternly. Both boys gulped and shrunk down, afraid that they had made Mr. Bilbo mad, but the hobbit smile and raised a finger to his lips asking for silence. “For lunch how about I make my fierce young defenders something sweet?” The two cheered softly as the doctor entered the room, his face still stuck in the same baffled expression that Ori had left him with. 

–

The cheerful atmosphere that was in the room didn't last long. As Bilbo, Ori and Kili sat a little ways away from the bed the doctor looked over the dwarfling with a frown etched firmly on his face. He gave little hmms and hums as he checked Fili's vitals. “Had he managed to keep anything down?” 

Bilbo shook his head, “Not really. I've tried light broths and the like but anything other than water he can barely keep down. Its why I called.”

The doctor frowned again. “Well I can say that I have seen this before, never in a dwarf, and luckily if the other two have not caught it yet then I would wager that they will not.” Bilbo nodded in understanding. “It's a disease that men are very susceptible too. The flu they call it. As I said I have never seen it before in a dwarf and was unaware that they could catch diseases like this.” 

Kili gripped the hobbit's hand and Ori grasped the other, both were worried about their brother/friend. “Is he going to get better?” Kili asked plainly. Bilbo shushed him gently. 

The doctor, sighed and placed his hand upon the damp blond head. “If we treat it properly. I will need to speak with you alone Bilbo, please send the children outside.” Bilbo reluctantly did as he was asked and ushered the children just outside the door. Ori and Kili shared a silent look and dove toward the crack in between the door and the floor to listen.

“The issue here is keeping the young master dwarf well watered. Illnesses like this do not kill in their symptoms they kill with dehydration.” They heard the Doctor say. Kili bit his tongue so not to make a noise. 

“I know. He can't keep any water down, though. If it does not come out his mouth then it comes out the other end something awful.” Bilbo explained worriedly. 

“He has to keep liquids down, Bilbo, this is serious. If there is no improvement soon I fear the worst for the child.”

“Ima goin' die!?” Fili shouted slurring his words slightly, the young dwarf had been faking sleep and after the last comment he could no longer pretend. “I'll drink more, please I don' wanna die!” The blond dwarf cried his voice harsh with thirst. Bilbo's eyes widened and he rushed to comfort the child.

“Hush, lad, hush. I promised you nothing would happen to you. We will get through this don't worry.” Bilbo chanted petting Fili's face and hair trying to calm him. The doctor watched worried, it seemed their Mr. Baggins was becoming far too attached to his guests.

“Come by later in the afternoon and I will have a tonic or two that should help settle his stomach. Maybe even one to keep the fever away. Right the only advice I can offer is to drink water, lad.” that last part was directed firmly to the dwarfling.  
–

“Has anyone heard news of the team sent to the halflings?”

“No.”

“Not I.”

“They were supposed to report back today, but no one from their outpost as seen hide nor hair.”

The conversation continued in hushed voices surrounding a table. Even in their own base of operations, they dared no speak too loud. 

“Rangers were called out that way. They were said to arrive late this afternoon. Rumor is some Little Folk killed five men!”

Someone scoffed, “Five men? The hobbits killed five men? I think you are a fool.” 

“A fool he may be but we are still missing three of our own and at least three pay outs from the orcs!”

“Munvan, Vor. You two go find our missing men.”

“Yes, sir.” They said in unison.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fili is still sick, Kili needs a hug, Ori is smart and Bilbo....well...you will see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for the kudos, comments and even the post on Tumblr that I found it makes me all so very happy and I love writing this fic and I can't wait to write more. Now enjoy the chapter.

“Mr. Bilbo! Wake up!” Bilbo jerked awake, nearly falling from his chair. The still drowsy hobbit, squinted and stared the creature that had woken him. It was Ori. 

Bilbo blinked and yawned, “What ever is the matter?” He asked through a yawn. The dwarfling shifted from foot to foot and wrung his hands together. 

“You fell asleep in your chair and you did not look at all comfortable.” Said the shy little dwarf. Bilbo smiled at the child's thoughtfulness. He had spent the whole day at Fili's bedside, helping the eldest dwarfling keep down the liquid that he had needed so badly. Bilbo blinked again trying to rid the sleep from his eyes and stood with another yawn. Little Ori joined him this time and Bilbo smiled as he put a hand on top of the shortest dwarfling's head. 

“Bed time, I think. For both of us.” Bilbo happily offered Ori his hand as they walked back toward the bedroom. “Is Kili already asleep, then?” Ori nodded and squeezed the hobbit's hand as they walked. Ever so often Ori would look at Bilbo almost guiltily. Bilbo watched Ori, as he did it again. "Is something the matter, Ori?" 

“Mr. Bilbo...Kili said I that we aught not tell you but....” Ori looked up at the hobbit and bit his lip. “Mr. Bilbo we saw men today.”

Ice seemed to formed in Bilbo's veins, he knew intellectually that it could be anyone. Sometimes men from Bree would come in to trade with hobbits at the market, but with the tales of child snatchers, there hadn't been much traveling except for when absolutely necessary. 

“Ori, tell me.”

–

The doctor left and soon after the now distraught dwarf children were clinging to their hobbit. 

“Don' let Fee die!”

“Yeah, please Mr. Bilbo!”

“I'm scared!”

Bilbo managed to calm them enough to speak. “Hush no lads, be brave, we can get through this, of this, I am sure.” Bilbo stroked their hair and dried their eyes, muttering soft reassurance until they calmed. “Now, Fili is sick so we do have work to do, yes?” Kili and Ori nodded while Fili looked confused. 

“Ori, be a dear, go get some water for Fili. We have to keep him well watered.” The hobbit instructed. “Hop up there, lad.” He said to Kili shooing him off the bed. “I need you to go get that soup that we made this morning, the bowl especially for Fili, can you do that?” 

The little dark haired dwarf nodded seriously and dashed off to the kitchen. Fili looked doubtfully at the hobbit, he knew he was sick, really sick. He didn't feel well enough to drink anything so he wasn't sure he was going to manage to eat anything. Bilbo caught sight of the look and smiled ruefully. “Trust me, young master dwarf. I promise you that everything would be okay, and so it shall.” 

Fili still didn't look very assured but Bilbo just smoothed back a piece of hair from his face before turning to help Kili and Ori how had returned with what they had been sent after. Bilbo sat the bowl and the water beside the bed and turned back to his little helpers. 

“I have another task for you too, it's very important. Can I trust you with it?” Bilbo asked the dwarflings seriously. Ori and Kili puffed up and nodded. Bilbo smiled, “Wonderful, come with me to my study, I have to write you a letter.” Bilbo looked back at the bedridden dwarf. “I shall be back soon.”

Bilbo and the two boys walked the short distance to the study and Bilbo quickly penned out a letter. “Take this to the doctor. I've drawn a little map on the back as well so you should not get lost. If you do however just stop and ask someone. Tell them you are from Bag End and then show them the map.” Bilbo folded the letter so the map was easy to see. He placed it in Kili's hand before pausing, ignoring the pout Bilbo decided that Ori would be better suited for it. 

“Fili and I are counting on you to go get the medicine. Can you do it?” Bilbo crossed his arms and asked. 

Ori straightened up and looked at the map. “Yes Mr. Bilbo.” Kili looked over Ori's shoulder and then he too agreed. 

The hobbit nodded as well and walked the boys to the door. “No stops now, no fighting either, Kili, remember that Fili is here sick and he needs his medicine.” Kili smiled sheepishly and agreed. Bilbo clapped his hands happily. “Off you go then, be as quick as you can. Stay in the Shire, no matter what and if something does not feel safe, then return home right away.” Bilbo didn't want to send the children out, not after the incident but it was mid-day and the Shire was full of adults, plus the old doctors place wasn't but maybe a quarter of an hour away. They would be there and back quickly enough. 

“Bye Mr. Bilbo!” 

“Make Fili, better!”

Bilbo closed the door, ignoring his feeling of dread. 

Ori and Kili managed to focus for all of ten minutes. They hadn't been allowed to really explore the Shire, not really. First off because of Fili's illness but also because of Kili's fight with the little hobbit girl. Ori stared hard at the map, for a moment. “Is that an arrow, or a smudge?” he asked the older dwarfling. Kili leaned over and squinted hard at the crudely drawn map. 

“A smudge I think.” He said finally, as the 'arrow' seemed to point them out of Shire and that was something that Bilbo had expressly forbidden. Ori paused and nodded his agreement. He pointed in from of him. “That way then?” Kili asked bouncing on his toes slightly. Never before had he been so confined to a house. He was sure that it was worse for Fili as he was stuck in bed, of all things. 

“Come on, Kili! Mr. Bilbo said to hurry.” Ori said tugging on the other dwarfling's borrowed clothing. Kili gave in and followed the map holder down family dirt paths toward the market. 

 

“Do you think, they will ever come for us?” Kili asked suddenly after walking in silence. “I mean, do you think they will get the letter? That they even know where we are?”  
“Dori and Nori will.” Ori said assuredly. “Dori and Nori will come for me.” Kili gave the younger dwarfling a questioning look. 

“How do you know?”

Ori offered a look that clearly implied that Kili was dumber then a rock. “They love me. Why would they not?” 

Kili said nothing, as young as he was, he couldn't help but remember nights when Uncle Thorin would sit at the table and eat nothing. Night when he could hear his Ma crying in her sleep. Kili couldn't help but let a poisonous thought enter his mind. What if they were happier without them, him, there. Surely Uncle Thorin missed Fili at least, he was the oldest, he had a talent with a blade that had surprised even  
Mr. Dwalin. 

Kili remembered his own first session with a sword. He had little talent for it and he he was not deaf to the teasing of the other children, what with his rather un-dwarf like face. His mother assured him that he would grow into his looks and to give it time but in the moment Kili added it to the list of things that would keep his family from coming to get him. 

“Thorin and Dìs will come for you.” Ori remarked watching the face of the youngest of the line of Durin. “You and Fili, both.” 

Kili ducked his head and scuffed his boots, they had stopped walking by this time and Ori was staring at Kili like he had never seen him before. “Come on Ori we have to go.” Kili muttered reaching out to tug slightly at the younger dwarf's wrist. 

The rest of the trip was in silence, only the crinkling of paper was heard between them. They quickly found the hobbit doctor and deposited the note directly into his hands. A quick read through and the hobbit hummed and ha'ed under his breath as he gathered various bottles and placed them all in a bag. The note was placed back into the younger dwarfs hand and the bag of bottles into the arms of the dark haired dwarfling. 

“Off you go, lads, the Shire is not safe these days. Back you go!” The old hobbit said shooing them out the door. 

A slightly ruffled and very shocked Ori and Kili stood outside the door confused. Mr. Bilbo had ranted and raved about the proper politeness that hobbit were to show to guests one night. This didn't seem to match up. Unable to do anything, they shrugged it off and began the trek back to Bag End. 

The return trip was more upbeat, Kili was in a much better mood, because of the medicine they had acquired. Ori was just glad that Kili was back to normal. They had to walk slower so as not to break the bottles that had been rather carelessly put into one bag. All the while Kili complained loudly about having to carry them. 

“He should have given us a basket. It would have made things much easier.” Kili remarked shifting the bad in his arms again. 

“He must have had another patient. He was awful rude. Mr. Bilbo would never act like that.” Ori stated looking at their map to make sure that they were heading back the right way.  
Kili noticed and scoffed, “You don't need to look at that thing every second, Ori. We know the way back. Look there is the rock that looks like Dori's head. Remember?” He nodded toward a star shaped rock and Ori giggled. 

“Yes, and there is the tree that looks like Thorin!” Both little ones giggled as they walked, pointing out various rocks, and trees that reminded them of people they knew.

“Hey, Kili! Look men!” Ori said pointing at the men that stood a good ways away with their backs turned. Kili frowned and squinted into the distance. Bilbo had said that men normally came from Bree, that is from the east. These men were coming up from the south, Kili didn't see any horses or ponies, a strange feeling of unease grew within him. 

“Come on Ori. We have to go.” Kili walked faster trying to get out of the line of sight of the men should they turn around. Ori gave Kili a confused look but did as he was told. 

“Are they snatchers Kili?” Ori asked finally catching on. Kili's face was grim but he shook his head. 

“Why would they be? Bilbo said that men come to the Shire all the time. Our s-snatcher only stopped here because they were hungry. They must just be lost.” Kili didn't seem very sure of this, but he repeated it. “They are not snatchers. Come on. We need to get this back to Fili.” 

Ori looked doubtful. “Are you sure? I will tell Mr. Bilbo when we get back-”

“No!” Kili shouted. “He has far to much to worry about. Two men that are not snatchers, is not something that needs to be mentioned. Promise me, Ori.” 

Ori gave Kili a hard look but withered under Kili's own. “Fine. I wont tell.” 

“Good.”

–

Bilbo looked around the hobbit hole feeling unsafe for the first time in his home. He had no way to protect himself or the children. He had no way of contacting anyone should he need help. Fear was slowly creeping up on him.

“I'm sorry, I did not say something before, Mr. Bilbo.” Ori said looking as if he were going to cry. “I promised.”

Bilbo patted Ori's head and shook his head. “You should have mentioned this before, Ori. I'm not mad, come on then, bed time.”

Still hand in hand they entered the bedroom. Bilbo tucked Ori in with a slight smile. Fear still clogging his veins. He had just wished a final good night when the sound of flesh on wood caught his ears. A loud thumping, someone was knocking on the door. 

Heart in his throat Bilbo's hands shook as he walked to his door. His feet made no sound but his breathing was harsh and he trembled all over. The circular door, seemed ominous but good manners dictated that he open it. With a shaking hand, Bilbo pulled open the door and froze.  
At his door stood a man, tall and strong. He had a sharp jaw and dark hair. What really caught Bilbo's attention was the curve blade in his hand. He leaned casually against the door jam and smiled almost happily at the hobbit. 

“Vor, at your service, Master Baggins. I do believe that you have my dwarfs. I would like them back, if you do not mind.” 

Bilbo didn't even get the chance to scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me please :) Also this chapter is a bit longer then normal because I just didn't want to end the chapter. It killed me to do so. Next update should be sometime this weekend.


	8. Chapter 8

Everything was dark, and for a moment Bilbo wasn't sure that he was really awake. It wasn't until he was a bit more aware that he felt the cloth over his eyes, and the ropes around his hands and feet. For a moment Bilbo expected to feel the flicker of flames at his back and he nearly screamed. When the heat and flames didn't come, the hobbit thrashed about trying to loosen the bindings on his limbs. 

“It seems out host is awake, Munvan, free his eyes. I want him to be able to see us.” It was the voice of the man who had greeted him at the door with a knife. Bilbo's head pounded as he tried to avoid the hands of the man he assumed to be Munvan as they tugged and pulled at the cloth, he didn't want to see the men and what they had done.

Bilbo's eyes burned at the light, several candle had been lit, lighting up the hobbit hole quite nicely. The owner of said hobbit hole was on the floor in what appeared to be the parlor. Pain shot through his head with every breath he took and Bilbo could hardly focus on anything. 

He suddenly couldn't remember why he was tied up, were these men robbing him? He didn't have much, they were welcome to it all if they left him alone. The boys too of course, Bilbo didn't want them hurt. 

The boys! Bilbo struggled to sit up, he had to see. Pulling himself into a slight sitting position he looked around and couldn't see hid nor hair of the dwarflings. “Where are they? The children!” He asked as loudly as he dared. 

Vor smiled pleasantly as if they were sitting down for a cup of tea. “Bring the boy out, Munvan. We would not want the child to be without it's protector.” The larger Munvan nodded and stepped out of the room for a moment. Vor continued to smile blandly at Bilbo still holding that blasted knife. “You have a lovely home, you know. Much better then I expected it too be.” The man acted as if they were having pleasant tea time conversation and that it was not a hostage situation. It was very unnerving. 

Trying to escape the gaze of the clearly deranged man Bilbo allowed his mind to race through various thoughts. They had only mentioned one child. Where were the other two? Had they escaped? Bilbo couldn't remember how the men got into his home, everything was a bit blurry. All too soon, Munvan came back to the room toting a thrashing, and to Bilbo's horror, bleeding Kili. 

“Kili! What have you done to him! Stop, put him down!” Bilbo shouted trying to free himself to get to the hurting child. He had promised that he would take care of them.

Vor straightened up from his leaning position and motioned to Munvan to place Kili over by Bilbo. “Allow the child some measure of comfort.” 

Munvan tossed the dwarf at the hobbit, making them collide with a loud and painful thump. Bilbo nearly passed out as his head bounced off the wall of the hobbit hole, hard. Kili cried out as well and made no attempt to remove himself from the prone body of the hobbit. 

“Kili, Kili answer me, are you alright?” Bilbo whispered to the hurting child. Kili just moaned and rolled off the hobbit. “Kili, answer me!”

Vor spoke before Kili could. “Now Mr. Baggings. I do believe that you and I are in need of having a talk.” Vor walked over to the two prisoners and squatter down to meet the hobbit's eyes. “As you can see, we have found one of the three dwarf that we are in need of. You aren't a part of this picture, Mr. Baggins. You've just had the bad luck of stumbling upon them.” Vor smile pleasantly at the bound hobbit. 

“Simply tell us where the other two dwarves are, and we will leave you in peace.” The man's voice sounded so sincere and so trust worthy. Bilbo knew that if he were a lesser hobbit he would have taken the offer without a moment's thought, but with Kili moaning in pain next to him, with Fili's sickness resting heavily on his mind and little Ori's crying face firmly in his memory, Bilbo did as any Took would have done. He smiled for a moment then spit in the face of the man who had came into his home, and threatened his family. 

Vor's face bled into anger and swiftly he backhanded the hobbit, making Bilbo's head spin even more. Bilbo just laughed and licked at his now bleeding lip. “I've already killed three of you snatchers. What's two more?” 

Vor stood from his squatting position and kicked out sharply. Bilbo gave a shout as the foot connected solidly with his stomach and chest. Kili cried out in fear as he watched the man kicked again and again the bound and helpless hobbit. 

“Stop it! Stop it! Please, stop it!” The dwarfling cried unable to move or do anything to help the hobbit that had done so much for them and was suffering in front of his very eyes. 

Vor pulled himself away with great reluctance, his eyes blazing with hatred for a moment before the man's cool mask slid back onto his face. “Stuff them somewhere while we search the house. The other two have to be here somewhere.” 

Munvan nodded and picked up the bleeding hobbit and dwarfling easily. The man looked around for a few moments before picking a storage area and carelessly thew both of his captives in. Bilbo landed first and as soon as he heard Kili hit, the still bound hobbit crawled like a worm to the child. “Kili! Kili, can you hear me?” 

Kili whined and tired to sit up but was unable too. Bilbo did the best he could to comfort the child as bound as they were. Bilbo nuzzled the side of the dwarfling's head and muttered soft nonsense words as he tried to think of what to do next. A vague plan slowly build itself up in the back of his mind. 

“We'll be okay, it'll be okay.” Bilbo said over and over again trying to calm the child and work on the plan at the same time. Kili gave into the urge to cry that he had been repressing so well and hot tears poured down his face. Bilbo lovingly nuzzled the dwarfling as best he could. It was the only comfort that he could offer bound as he was.

“Hush, lad, hush, I've got you.” As he comforted the child Bilbo looked around to see what room they had been deposited into. It was easy to see that they had been put into the wine cellar. Bilbo almost laughed, this was perfect. “Wait here, lad. I know how we can get untied.” 

“Don't leave me, Bilbo! Please!” Kili cried softly into the dark. Bilbo again nuzzled the baby soft cheek and spoke into the dwarfling's skin.

“I will never leave you, I'm right here. I just have to move away for a moment you should still be able to see me.” Bilbo said, Kili took a deep shuddering breath and nodded. Bilbo gave the boy a last cuddle and inched away on his belly toward the part of the floor that jutted up marking a rather sharp point. The perfect spot to cut the rope. 

It took longer then he want it too, but eventually he found the spot, then came the hard part the actual cutting. It took a few tries to get himself sitting up and quite a bit of falling over. Dizzy and feeling as if he were going to vomit Bilbo swayed a bit and stabilized himself in a sitting position. After a moments rest he realized that he was going to have to wiggle backward enough to catch his hand on the sharp point that jutted up from the ground. 

Bilbo lifted his bound hands as high as he could and thrust them back. Bilbo bit his lip to keep from crying out when the first try cut through his hand. Blood poured out of what felt like a long deep gash, Bilbo took a deep breath and tried to ignore the burning pain. Tears in his eyes he lifted his hands and tried again. 

After two more tries and two more puncture wounds Bilbo finally caught the ropes just right and with a pull the ropes gave. “Yes!” Hand free and covered with blood Bilbo started on his feet. Freeing his feet was a much easier task and only took seconds. 

Struggling to his feet Bilbo stumbled back to the little dwarfling still tied up on the floor. “Come now, lets get you free.” Bilbo carried the youngster to the sharp point and quickly freed him much more carefully then he had done with himself. Bilbo ignored the blood that covered his hands and spoke softly to Kili as he rubbed the child's poor raw wrists. 

“Where are the others, are they safe?” Bilbo asked checking the child over for injuries. His worry about the others finally coming out.

Kili sniffed as Bilbo gently turned his wrist over in his hands, “Ori and Fili hid when we heard you fall.” Bilbo nodded, gently sitting down one hand and picked up the other. “I don't know where they went. I just wasn't fast enough.” 

“Well then let us hope that they are safe. You and I have a job to do before we can properly worry about them.” Bilbo said wiping at his forehead happy that Kili wasn't harmed too much. Neither could see the blood now streaking his face. 

Feeling braver Kili met the eyes of his hobbit and nodded, “What do we need to do?” 

–

It had been nearly an hour since Vor had the hobbit and the dwarf deposited into the cellar, more then enough time for the hobbit to think things over. “Munvan, go see if our gracious host is willing to talk. We still have to find the other two, time is running out.” 

The large man, lumbered toward the cellar his feet clomping on the hobbit hole floor. The large man pulled open the door and squinted into the darkness. He couldn't see bound up bodies on the floor nor could he see shadows clinging to the walls. 

“Vor! Vor they're gone!” Munvan yelled back into the parlor. The tall lumbering man walked back to his partner in large, loud steps. 

The door to the cellar stayed open as Munvan rushed back to Vor. Swiftly and soundlessly two small forms slipped away from the dark, dank cellar that had became their prison. 

–

“What do you mean they've escaped!” Vor shouted loosing his cool for the second time that night.

Munvan winced and tried to make himself smaller. “Sorry, Vor. I'm sorry!” 

“I don't want your apologies! I want those children! Or the Pale Orc will have my head!” Vor raged throwing his hands up in anger. “Go! Find them! Now you fool!”

–

Bilbo and Kili moved as quickly as possible. They had to move fast, they had to find the others and get out, now. Bilbo could hear the voice of Vor as he discovered his prisoners gone. He shuddered in fear, he didn't want to be in the same room as that man. He was a monster. 

“Bilbo! I heard Fili!” Kili whispered as they ducked into the bedroom to hide. Kili gave a soft noise and tapped twice on the ground. Bilbo watched curiously as as small flushed head stuck itself out of the study. 

“Mr. Boggins!” Fili whispered happily. Little Ori peeked out from above Fili's head. 

Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief as Kili ran to join the others. His little family was okay, they were all safe. For the moment. Bilbo joined the little reunion and hugged the children close to him. “You're safe.” He whispered into a blond head of hair. “We have to get out of here. Soon.” 

Bilbo could hear the men tearing apart Bag End room by room trying to find them. They were running out of time. “Quick children, the back entrance. We have to get out now.” Bilbo herded the dwarflings toward the door and paused. 

The hobbit stuck his head out and when he saw nothing he waved the dwarflings forward. “Go, go, go!”

It wasn't far just a few steps, but without the protection of a place to hide it felt as if they were running miles. The door was locked of course but Bilbo didn't even pause, he lifted his foot and with a mighty kick of the hobbits foot the door swung open. 

“Run! Go!” Bilbo shouted ushering the children out of the hobbit hole. A roar of anger from behind him alerted Bilbo to the fact the their escape had been noticed. Bilbo ran as fast as he could, with Fili, Kili and Ori just ahead of him. Bilbo risked a look behind him the men nearly caught up. It was a decision that he had made before and it was all the easier. Bilbo stopped running. “Hide!” He shouted at the dwarflings. “Keep going!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but here you go!

The three exhausted children ran until their feet could no longer carry them. Fili's head was spinning and he just knew that his fever had spiked once again. Kili was crying, fat salty tears streamed down his face leaving streaks in the dirt and blood that clung to his skin. Ori's eyes were far too wide, and Fili noticed his breathing was more then a little too harsh even for the running pace there were at. It was time to stop, Bilbo had stopped the snatchers and they were far enough out of the Hobbiton that Fili hoped they could rest safely before getting help. 

Instead of stopping gradually Fili's feet just stopped reacting to his commands. He fell almost boneless to the ground and tasted dirt in his mouth while his skin stung from the rough encounter with the dirt and rocks. Kili stumbled twice before collapsing on the ground next to his brother. Little Ori slow to a walk then fell to his knees and crawled to Fili and Kili. 

None of the children could move, their bodies ached and their minds were full of fear. Together in the middle of the road they cuddled, trying to catch their breath, tears leaking from their eyes. Wishing, wanting, needing their protector. 

–

Thorin and Dìs had been riding for hours. Thorin felt as if he were older then the mountains, his bones ached and sometimes when he moved his head just right his beard felt as if it too ached. The only thing that kept them going was the though of the children, Fili, Kili and Ori. In his mind Thorin could clearly picture his sister-sons and he imagined that Ori was all that Dori and Nori could think about. 

Dìs was beside herself, dark angry muttering could be heard from time to time but Thorin tried not to dwell on them. His sister was a force to be reckoned with and she would be when they found the ones that took the children. 

It was by pure luck that they had been found by the raven that Nori had sent. Nori, it seemed, was a master at making men talk, the sly dwarf had stumbled upon a secret gathering of men and learned just what was going on. The news that two snatchers had been dispatched to the Shire, the home of the halflings was very disconcerting. Hobbits were not a warrior race, to be honest, Thorin wasn't sure what exactly a hobbit did. 

All thoughts of hobbits and men were banished from his mind when his sister screamed. His sister wasn't one for hysterics so the shout offered a moment of worry before Thorin has to focus on catching up to his sister. Dìs urged her pony faster as poor Thorin tried to catch up, he wasn't sure what had startled her until he heard the voices. Small childish voices, accompanied with small childish bodies, his sister-sons. 

Close enough now, Dìs dismounted with more a jump then a step and ran toward the children, she fell to her knees and grabbed all three tired, sore children into a tight embrace. A few steps behind her Thorin too, fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around all four. 

 

“My babies, oh my babies.” Dìs whispered into Kili's filthy matted hair as Kili's own hand reached up to tangle itself in her hair. “We were so worried, about you. All of you.” She whispered, unwilling to speak louder as if the children would disappear. 

Ori sniffled and buried his face in Thorin's massive chest and bawled the small tired voice called out for his brothers and Thorin did the best he could to comfort the dwarfling. Tears streaked down Fili's face as he clung tightly to his uncle and mother, finally safe and suddenly his head shot up. “Mr. Boggins!”

Kili and Ori pulled themselves up and gasped, they had almost forgotten. “You have to save him!” Kili cried tugging at his mother's hair. “He saved us and now they've got him!”

“Quiet!” Dìs said gripping her youngest son's hand to stop the tugging. “What do you mean they've got him?” 

“Mr. Bilbo saved us. Kept us safe...they have him!” Ori said before dissolving into tears. Thorin pet the dwarfling's hair and shared a look with Dìs. It seemed they owed this Mr. Bilbo Boggins a great deal if he had saved the children. The Line of Durin always repaid it's debts. 

“Where do we need to go?”

–

Everything was pain.

His skin blistered and burned.

His lungs pleaded for air. 

His bones gave mighty cracks as they snapped.

His skin split and blood was pouring from his body. 

He could hear nothing. 

He could see nothing. 

Everything was pain. 

–

The Hobbiton was easy to find and Bag End even easier with the children to point it out. Thorin and Dìs wasted no time, in fact Dìs rushed to the front door and with a mighty swing of her axe the door gave with a thundering crash. It seemed she was more then ready to deal with the child snatchers. 

Thorin, however, took a moment to position the children off to the side and made them promise to run off to the nearest hobbit hole should something happen. With Fili's promise along with a tight grip on Kili and Ori's hands, Thorin joined his sister in the mess of what was once a lovely, warm home. 

Dìs was gutting a large human man who appeared to be in shock, that such a tiny dwarf could best him so. Thorin felt nothing but pride, his sister was a fine warrior. Dìs was a hand length shorter then her brother, not as broad and while she had a might fine beard herself, many would wrongly chose Thorin as the stronger of the two. 

The battle cry of a second man caught Thorin's attention. Drawing his sword Thorin fended off the would be sneak attack with ease. Knowing that Dìs would kill the man she was fighting Thorin fought to incapacitate his opponent they had to get answers from someone after all. 

All too soon, Thorin heard rather then saw his sister slay her opponent, and he too decided to end it. Moving forward quickly he drove the man backward until with great force he moved forward causing Vor to throw himself backward away from the dwarf and right into the low door frame of the hobbit hole doorway. Vor was out before he hit the ground. 

Sneering at the unconscious human in the floor Thorin sheathed his sword and turned toward his sister. “We need to find the hobbit.” Thorin couldn't believe that a tiny little creature had fought so bravely to protect his sister-sons and Ori but if Fili was to be believed the hobbit had sacrificed himself twice for the children and Thorin would do what ever needed to save him. 

Dìs nodded toward a room off to the left. “That's where they came from, the big one had blood on his hands. I'll check you watch our prisoner.” Dìs didn't allow her brother a chance to answer instead she walked into the next room and her eyes widened. It was obvious that these men had turned the hobbit hole in a prison/torture chamber. Blood was on the walls, the neglected fire place poker was sitting too far away from the fireplace and there in the middle of the room was the hobbit. 

He was bound in rope so tight Dìs could see it cutting into skin, covered in burns and cuts she wished she hadn't killed the big one so quickly. The closer she got the easier it was to see the boot prints all over the little hobbit. Pulling her smallest knife she did her best to untie the creature without hurting him any more. 

Weakly the hobbit tried to thrash but Dìs was a mother of two, she softly brushed back his hair and whispered sweet, soft words into his slightly pointed ear. He needed to be still lest he hurt himself more. 

“Hush, little one, I am here to help you.” She pet his face and frowned when he cried out when the ropes were cut. His arm was broken, shaking her head Dìs moved on, his forearms were covered in burns and many were blistered up. Dìs felt bile build up her throat as she continued to look over the hobbit. Long, deep cuts covered his face, he would have many great battle scars if he survived. 

Ever so gently Dìs did her best to look over the hobbit and what she found made rage boil in her veins. Nothing done to the hobbit was life threatening, all of it, every last cut was made to hurt and scar. They wanted him alive and they wanted him to suffer. She had to step out for a moment, “Thorin, brother. Watch the halfling.” 

Thorin cautiously poked his head in the door way and his expression grew stony, it seemed the hobbit had suffered much for his protection of the children. Without a word he took up a vigil at the hobbit's side and left Dìs to what ever she wanted. 

Thorin chuckled darkly when he heard his sister's boot make contact with the body of their prisoner. He supposed it was for the best, the sooner they got answers the sooner he could bring the children in, not that he wanted them to see what had become of their protector but he didn't like being apart from them. Not now. 

Looking down at the broken and bloody hobbit Thorin felt a sense of kinship. Many a nights he had stumbled into his sister's home looking very similar to the battered halfling. It was his job to keep his people safe, even if it meant that he was not. Thorin's eyes traced a bleeding cut on the hobbit's face, just under his eye. For a moment he wished that he had more knowledge about healing but Dìs was the one that had that skill and she was currently extracting information from the spineless scum that had hurt the hobbit so Thorin was left to do his best to heal what he could. 

Finding scraps of cloth was easy, finding mostly clean ones was the difficult part but in the end Thorin found enough to begin to stop the bleeding. Carefully he worked around the broken arm and the burns and focused on the cuts. He managed to bandage three before the hobbit started stirring. Thorin offered soft words, trying to keep the halfling calm as he fought for consciousness. The hobbit's eyes were something that Thorin would never forget. Steely determination peeked up at him from a broke face and Thorin smiled.

“You are safe, Mr. Boggins. The children are safe. Rest.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually supposed to be the last chapter but I got more ideas soooo... :)

“What is it with your dwarves and your inability to get my name right?” Bilbo asked softly. “Baggins, Bilbo Baggins.”

Thorin stared down at the broken little hobbit in shock. He had not expected the creature to be awake so soon, or for the hobbit to be so mouthy. “Well then Mr. Baggins-” Thorin never got the chance to reply, as soon as he tried three dwarflings scrambled into the room, screaming and generally making a mess of things trying to get to their Mr. Boggins. 

“Mr. Boggins!” They shouted in unison, leaping to reach the injured hobbit. Thorin, in a moment of quick thinking genius, caught them before they hurt the hobbit any more. With his arms full of squirming dwarflings Thorin continued to stare down at the broke little hobbit. He looked a right mess, still bleeding and what not but the sight of the children seemed to calm him in a way that Thorin was sure that nothing else could. 

“Mr. Bilbo! Are you okay? Ma and Uncle Thorin killed the mean snatchers so they can't ever hurt you again! Please be okay!” Kili cried reaching out to the hobbit struggling to reach him. Thorin tightened his grip on the children, it wouldn't do to drop them on the poor injured hobbit, after all. 

Bilbo blinked up tiredly at the dwarflings and winced when he moved his arm, most likely to reach out to them. Thorin could see something building behind the eyes of the gentle Shireling, but he couldn't quite place it. “If I let you down, you may not jump on Mr. Baggins. You may talk softly for a moment then you will need to go with Dìs while Mr. Baggins and I talk. Are we clear?” Thorin had never spoken to his sister-sons like children. They were his heirs and he disliked talking down to his family, especially after this incident he thought he owed it to the children to treat them like adults. 

Three little dwarfling heads nodded and Thorin carefully sat the trio down and allowed them to crowd around their protector. Kili babbled on and on while Fili critically looked over the hobbit. Little Ori carefully stroked the hobbits uninjured hand trying not to cry. Bilbo took a deep breath and smiled for the children. “Hush now, lads. I'm alright. We are all just fine now, are we not?” Three little heads bobbed and the hobbit continued. “I'm feeling a bit sore, so I'll stay here with Mr....Thorin was it?” At the dwarf's nod he finished. “You three see about starting something to eat, yeah? We could all use a bite to eat.” 

Three unhappy little dwarflings were carefully steered away from the battered hobbit as Dìs shot her brother unhappy looks. She was the one with the healing skills and that was what the hobbit needed, healing not talk. “Ten minutes Thorin. That is all you have.” She said as Fili finally exited the room. Thorin nodded and turned his attention to the hobbit lying in front of him. 

Bilbo ached all over, his arm worst of all, he could feel blood streaking down his skin his head felt as if it were going to pop off. He hoped that the dwarf wouldn't talk to him for too long as he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to stay awake for very much longer. 

“I owe you a great debt Master Baggins, one that I fear I can never repay.” Thorin's voice was solemn and soft. Bilbo noticed Fili and Kili had copied their uncles voice as much as they could, he smiled at the similarities. Thorin frowned at the hobbit when noticed the smile. 

“Relax Mr. Thorin, I'm only smiling because I've noticed how much Fili and Kili try to emulate you.” The hobbit said with a smile, “As for this debt you supposedly owe me, I will hear no more about it.” Bilbo coughed and hissed out a breath. His chest throbbed and Bilbo felt as if he couldn't breath.  
Thorin grasped at the hobbit's uninjured hand and squeezed, offering Bilbo a pillar of strength that the hobbit desperately needed at that moment. “Quiet, Hobbit. We will speak of debts later, now I need to know. Are there any more snatchers that you know of in the area?” While he wanted very much to speak to the Shireling about many things he needed to be sure that they were all safe at that moment. 

Bilbo grimaced and sucked in a hard breath. “We are safe. The snatchers that had kidnapped the children are no longer a problem. If there are more here, I do not know about them.”

Thorin stared down at the beaten hobbit and carefully pressed his forehead to Bilbo's. “Thank you for what you have done for my children Bilbo Baggins. The line of Durin owes you a great debt. Now rest, allow us to care for you like you did for them.” While he had originally intended to speak to the hobbit more, he felt that it was best to get the Shireling taken care of before anything else. “Rest and allow me to call my sister. She will tend to you.” Without another word, Thorin stood and exited the room. Bilbo did not have time to do or say anything before Dìs took her brother's spot and began the long and hard task of healing the broken hobbit. 

–

While his sister was with the hobbit, Thorin was charged with taking care of the dwarflings. He was no stranger to children, Thorin spent most of his time caring for his sister-sons when Dìs was working or ill. Since the death of Fili and Kili's father he had felt the urge to step up and provide for the children as best he could. With the youngest, Ori in his arms and Fili and Kili snuggled together in an unbroken chair, Thorin pondered his next move. 

His first instinct was to take the children, Dìs and the hobbit and return to the Blue Mountains, where Durin's Folk had settled after the fall of Erebor. He knew of course that it would not work. At least not right away, the Shireling was in no shape of travel and honestly neither were the children. Everyone was hurt and needed rest before any sort of journey could happen. 

With a sigh, Thorin carefully settled Ori in the chair with his sister-sons, all of whom were asleep by this time, and began trying to clean up. The snatchers had spared nothing it seemed. Blood that would need to be washed away covered the floor and walls. Ashes from a hastily made fire were scattered all over the room. The door was still missing and something would need to be done before morning. 

It was pure luck that no curious little neighbor hobbits had heard the commotion and stumbled into a dangerous situation. Thorin had no desire for the neighbors to see the missing door come morning and begin to make trouble, their host did not deserve that. Taking a look at the three sleeping children Thorin quickly stepped out into the darkness to find something that would work as a door.

After finding a door that had been cast out because of broken hinges and carefully installing it the best he could, he made a note to himself to fix it properly in the morning when he had proper light, Thorin noticed he was no longer the only male Durin awake. Fili had awoke sometime after he had left and was standing guard over the other two little ones. 

“Go back to sleep, Fili, I'm here.” Thorin whispered to his nephew. The little blond scowled and shook his head. Thorin felt a wave of melancholy wash over him, Fili looked a lot like his late father in that moment. 

“Can't”

“Why not?” Thorin asked crouching next the chair, that held the dwarflings. 

“Mr. Boggins.” Fili teared up but didn't let the tears fall. “He's hurting, and it's all my fault!” Thorin ached for his young sister-son. Fili had always bared responsibility that Kili did not. There were times when Dìs swore, Fili was more like his son then hers because of it. It seemed that both of the heirs of the Lonely Mountain shouldered far too much of the worlds problems onto their shoulders at times. 

A large rough hand landed softly on Fili's head. The large fingers threaded through the light colored hair and Fili leaned into his uncle's touch sniffling softly. “Nothing that has happened since you disappeared is your fault, Fili.” Thorin's voice was soft and unwavering. “You are a child. Master Baggins made his own choices and I dare say he doesn't regret them, and neither should you.” 

“I was so scared. We missed you so much. Poor Bilbo.” Fili cried dissolving into soft sobs, without a word. Thorin scooped up his oldest sister-son and cradled the crying dwarfling to his chest. 

“Hush child, everything will be alright.” Thorin rocked his nephew silently for a moment before beginning to sing. “Far over the misty mountains cold....” 

–

Dìs had done the best she could. With the limited supplies and resources she had on her, the princess had done the best she could. The hobbit was currently resting as best he could, being as batter as he was. A broken arm, burns, cuts, and bruises covered most of the poor hobbit's body. Nothing life threatening everything was to cause the most hurt possible. Dìs was glad one of the men had been killed and the other would soon join him, after she and Thorin got answers of course. 

With a last look at the sleeping hobbit, she carefully slipped out of the room, and was greeted to the sight and sound of her brother and her eldest son. Thorin was a wonderful brother, and even better uncle. He loved his sister-sons with everything he had and she knew that one day he would make a far better king then their father and grandfather. 

“Thorin.” She whispered, the future king turn around and carefully settled the sleeping Fili back into the chair with the others. “We need to see to Master Baggin's guest, since our host is unable.” She said still speaking softly. 

A hard look entered Thorin's eyes and he nodded. It was indeed time to speak to the trash that dared hunt the dwarflings, they had much to speak about indeed. 

In the end, it didn't take much, convincing to get the man to squeal like a pig. Dìs cut off one finger and the man started crying and spilling everything, the two learned of the Pale Orc and his plan. How he had been using men to capture children for him to eat, and how a special price had been put on dwarflings, Thorin's heirs specifically. The man continued on how the orcs would soon descend upon the Blue Mountains, and their plan to slaughter everyone there. 

“After that, he will come for the halflings. They are small enough to satisfy his hunger for children and the land is just too good to pass up.” The man said fearing for his life. Dìs hissed disgustedly and bounced the man's head off the wall to shut him up.

In the end, unwilling to hear anymore, and quite sure that he had heard enough, Thorin put his knife through the man's neck, ending his life and one more threat to his family. All that was left was the looming threat to his kin and the others of the Blue Mountains. 

“What are we going to do, Thorin?” Dìs asked hands clenched tightly at her side. Thorin leaned heavily against the wall, and shook his head. He did not have an answer for his sister. 

“I have an idea.” A soft raspy voice said from the door way. 

Both Durin's turned on their heels ready to do battle, only to stop when faced with their battered hobbit.

“What are you doing up!” Thorin and Dìs shouted together. There was no way the hobbit was well enough to stand. Before he had trouble sitting up, standing should be far beyond his abilities at this point. Dìs rushed to her patient and helped him stand. Thorin looked upon the stubborn little creature with wonder and annoyance. Bilbo should not be up and moving. 

“Oh hush. Listen, I heard what he,” A pained hiss cut off his words and after worried looks from the Durin's he paused for a moment before continuing, steel in his voice. “I have a plan. One that should benefit us both.”


	11. Chapter 11

“No, it will never work,” Thorin said peevishly, still upset the hobbit refused to listen to him and stay put. Dìs had done a fine job of patching up the master of Bag End but there was only so much that could heal in just a few short hours. Bilbo for his part was staring at Thorin with the same expression on his face. 

“I’ve said maybe five words of my plan, Master Dwarf, you could listen propelyr before passing judgement.” The hobbit said sharply, the frown pulled at the bandaged cuts on his face so it did not stay on his face long. For a moment, Bilbo spared a thought to how he would look when this was all over, assuming he was still alive. Never once did he think that his journey into the night would result in such an unexpected situation. 

“The hobbit, is correct Thorin, shut your mouth and listen,” Dìs remarked perched on the end of the hobbit’s bed. While they were unsuccessful in getting him to rest, Dìs and her brother did convince him to go back to his bed to rest while he spoke. 

The heir of the lonely mountain crossed his arms are glared at his sister. “You heard him as well as I, sister. You should stay here! That’s what he said! Madness, the hobbit is mad!” 

“I will have you know-”Bilbo’s retort was cut short by a soft but remarkably firm voice.

“I agree with him brother.” Dìs cut in, she ignored her siblings look, “If we were to simply take ours and leave, even if we held off the orcs they would come here, and the hobbits would suffer.” Dìs paused seemingly as if pain. “We know the pain of losing our homeland, brother, and I for one would not wish that upon even the Elves.” She turned serious eyes to Thorin. “There are other advantages to this as well, brother. With work these Hobbit Holes will to defend, this land has supplies that we could not get much anywhere else, I saw their fields. Something would be done to keep both the hobbits of the Shire and Durin’s Folk safe.” 

Bilbo nodded along with Dìs, while not exactly what he had planned to say, it was very similar. The orcs expected Thorin’s dwarves to be in the blue mountains. If they weren’t then it would not only throw them off but possibly buy more time. A small selfish part also remembered the fell winter that had taken his parents. When the ice and snow brought the wolves and orcs. The Shire could not suffer through that again. 

The King without a throne exhaled harshly. It wasn’t a perfect plan, it left many things to chance, and left many people in danger but his people were without a proper home and they could not put others at risk. The hobbits were already in danger, because of their very nature, Thorin repressed a shudder at the dead man’s words, ‘After that, he will come for the halflings. They are small enough to satisfy his hunger for children and the land is just too good to pass up.’

“Come on Thorin, you know this is the best plan available to us, right now,” Dìs prodded. She could not even smile when Thorin finally nodded in agreement. 

“I suppose. We will need to speak to…” He trailed off unsure of who was the leader of the hobbits and glanced at Bilbo for help. 

“The thain,” the hobbit offered helpfully. 

“The thain, then, and see if you scheme is even possible.” Thorin conceded. Dìs and Bilbo shared a tired nod. “But for now, hobbit, there are still a few hours more of darkness. Sleep. I shall stand guard until morning.” 

Bilbo nodded and settled back into his make-shift bed. He refused to look around, his living room turned torture chamber surrounded him but Bilbo’s mind was far to tired to be afraid. “Check on Fili,” He murmured before sleep overtook him. “He’s sick.”

\--

Bilbo slept for many hours. The darkness of night came and went, the two dwarves made themselves at home in the hobbit hole. Dìs and Thorin taking care to clean as much of it as they could. Homes were sacred places and the men had desecrated Bilbo’s home. With a talent only dwarves could have the two bodies were disposed off without a fuss, the furniture fixed, the blood and grimed cleaned away and everything put as close to right as it could. 

When the dwarflings awoke, they too set out helping. After having spent a few days with the hobbit, they knew how things were to be arranged in the home of their Mr. Boggins. Dìs had heeded the word of the hobbit and kept a close eye on her eldest son. Fili began to waiver only a hour after he awoke and his mother easily pounced on that weakness. 

“Ma…” Fili whined after being sent right back to bed. “I want to help!” He complained. 

Dìs raised an eyebrow at her golden haired son. “You were dizzy moving a book, I think not! I also had a look at your torso.” She shook her head. “You are as bad as Thorin, at least Kili lets me know when he is sick or injured. You two, would rather suffer in silence!” The lady dwarf seemed incredibly put out about this fact. “I almost wish you would whine like your brother does!” 

Fili laughed a bit and settled into his bed. Both he and the hobbit that refused to stir had been shifted to a real bedroom a little after the sun rose. The giggling dwarfling paused to yawn and smiled at his mother. “Maybe I am a little tired, but I want to be awake when Mr. Bilbo wakes up.” 

Dìs nodded thoughtfully, “How about this?” She began, “Rest your eyes and when he wakes I will send Kili to wake you.” Fili nodded once and finally laid his head down and closed his eyes. Dìs sighed softly and brushed a piece of golden hair out of his peaceful face. She had missed her children, and more than anything she was glad they were safe. 

The female dwarf turned away from her child to face the hobbit that saved him and smiled when she saw him begin to stir. “Good morrow, Master Baggins. We were beginning to worry.” She said softly helping him sit upright. 

The hobbit looked both better and worse after sleep. His arm was still bandaged and held in a soft sling, the cuts looked as if they were already starting to scab over, just a little. The bruises were as dark as they would ever be, many formed footprints and the burns were still puckered and red. Bilbo grimaced in pain when he moved but his eyes were much clearer and Dìs could see he was not as broken as they had feared. 

“Good morning, lady Dìs.” He said softly, his eyes glued to the small mop of golden hair hidden away under blankets. The dwarves had seemed to move all of the blankets in the hobbit hole the the master bedroom, Bilbo’s bedroom. One of the guest beds would have been too much but the nest to the side of the bed looked rather comfortable. Bilbo guessed they moved him last night and he was very happy they did so. Bilbo wasn’t sure if he could have handled waking in the same room that he suffered so much in. 

Bilbo was sure that he would never be able to see his comfy den the same way again. The warm fire place that had warmed him so well that night before he found the children, the rug that he had played on as a child. They had become pieces of a nightmare Bilbo was unsure if he could even awaken from. Lost in thought he continued to ponder his life in Bag End until Dìs drew him back. 

“We have food prepared. The morning is half gone, but you need to eat before we begin to put your plan into motion,” Thorin’s sister said, watching the hobbit carefully. She noticed the glassy eyes and faint tremble in his shoulders. “You’re home is safe again, Mr. Baggins. I made sure of that.” She promised meeting the halflings eyes. 

Bilbo nodded shakily, “I know that, in my head but…” The hobbit simply swallowed and took the offered help at standing and after nearly falling the help walking as well. 

“Mr. Bilbo!” Ori shouted when he saw the form of his hobbit protector. Kili made a similar noise of excitement and both had to be reminded to be gentle with the hobbit, before carefully fluttered around him when Dìs helped him to a chair. 

Ori and Kili began to babble together and Bilbo just stared helplessly unsure of what to do. “Boys.” A deep voice called from the doorway. Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at Thorin as he entered the dining room of the hobbit. 

Dìs greeted him with a question, “Did you send the letter?” 

Thorin nodded and sat across from Bilbo as they hobbit began to attempt to eat his food with his non-dominant hand. “Yes, and with luck Dori and Nori will receive it today and arrive by nightfall tomorrow depending on their location.” 

“Dori and Nori, Ori’s brother correct?” Bilbo asked between a clumsy bite. Thorin nodded and Ori answered. 

“Yes! Dori is the oldest and takes care of Nori and I. He must be very worried.” The little dwarf deduced, looking sad. 

“Don’t be sad Ori, your brothers will get here soon!”Kili said trying to cheer his friend up, the little troublemaker seemed to be on his best behavior for the moment and Bilbo couldn’t help but wonder how long it would last. 

“Since you have slept the morning away we will be getting a late start to setting your plan in motion,” Thorin told the hobbit, ignoring the look both Bilbo and Dìs shot him. “We must speak to your Thain, today and have a proper healer look after you.” 

Bilbo nodded and pushed his plate away, the hobbit had cleared half of his plate and could stomach no more. “Of course, and luck my mother was a Took or we would never get into the see him on such short notice.” The hobbit remarked, he smiled when the look of confusing passed over Dìs and Thorin’s face. “My mother’s father, Gerontius Took, is Thain.” 

\--

The meeting with the Thain took hours. Simply after taking a look the beaten and bruised Bilbo Gerontius had rounded on the dwarf ready to knock the dwarf’s head clean off his shoulders. Never before had the old Took so greatly resembled his great uncle, Bullroarer. 

Bilbo told the tale of finding the dwarflings and all that happened that night. He ignored the shocked looks from Thorin and the pity filled gaze of his grandfather. Bilbo ignored the healer that came to him half way through the story and began to poke and prod at his wounds. 

The hobbit spoke sparingly about the torture that he endured only the night before, speaking as if he were reading it from one of his books rather than remembering something so painful. At the end of the tale, Thorin jumped in and detailed the part he and his sister played. The dwarf explained all that he had learned from the men and the plan they three of them came up with. Bilbo was rather shocked when at the end of the tale, Gerontius said, “Thorin Oakenshield, yes, tales of your battles have reached even us in the Shire, I wish to thank you for what you have done for my late daughter’s son.” The Thain paused, “As one ruler to the other I accept your offer of protection and welcome you to the Shire. My kin and I will do what we can to make you and yours as comfortable as possible. The threat of goblins descending upon us, is far too great. We welcome you and your people, Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain.” 

Thorin gratefully thanked the Thain and after a scheduling of another meeting and a promise to make Bilbo rest, hobbit and dwarf set out for Bag End again. Once alone Bilbo turned to Thorin, eyes wide, “You are a king?!”

\--

At the edge of the Shire two ponies paused as their riders spoke. 

“Almost, there Dori. We will have Ori with us again soon.” 

“I know, brother, I just hope that he is well.” 

“If he is not, the one responsible will pay dearly.”


	12. Chapter 12

Dori and Nori had looked after Ori since the death of their dwarrowdam years before. Dori the eldest worked hard to keep his brother’s fed and watered as best he could, and when Nori took it in his mind to help, he too did his best. While the brother’s had a very different way of going about, looking after little Ori, their end result was the same. Food on the table, a roof over his head, and a bed to sleep in, those were their goals. 

Between the two of them Ori was well looked after, he had everything his brothers could give him and anything Nori could steal. They were good brothers, never mind the guilt that was currently eating away at them both for losing the youngest of them. Never mind the harsh words they had shared between them in the heat of the moment. Never mind that every single hobbit hole looked the exact same and Nori was going to scream if they did not find their brother soon. 

“Let us just stop and ask someone,” Dori whispered to his brother, disliking the looks they were receiving from the hobbits. It was obvious that hobbits did not have visitors very often and Dori and Nori were very obviously not from the Shire.

“No Dori, Thorin’s letter detailed exactly where to go, I know what I am doing.” Nori whispered back squinting at the letter and the directions it contained. 

Dori glared at his brother, “You know as well as I do, if Thorin wrote those directions we will never find it. King under the mountain he might be, but Thorin would get lost trying to find lady Dìs if she stood ten feet away shouting at him!” 

Nori snorted in amusement, as sad as it was his brother was correct. “Fine, ask a hobbit, if it will make you feel better.” 

Dori rolled his eyes at his star headed brother, and turned to the nearest hobbit, a lass if he guessed correctly, none of them had hair on their faces but they had plenty on their bare feet, it was very odd. “Excuse me, my brother and I are looking for a hobbit by the name of Boggins? Boggins, was it Nori?”

The younger dwarf shrugged and scratched at his face, “I suppose, the writing is a bit smudged so it could be Baggins.”

Dori offered a helpless look to the hobbit, “Baggins then, do you know one?”

The lady hobbit huffed and glared fiercely at the dwarves, “Bilbo Baggins, is the hobbit you are looking for! Why, letting packs of dwarves stroll in and out of the Hobbiton, you would expect that with the snatchers being about we would keep to ourselves a bit more!” Dori and Nori shared a concerned look, neither knew what to do as the little hobbit lass continued on. The brothers Ri could do little more than stand there and listen as this still unknown hobbit babbled on about Bilbo Baggins, and as she claimed he was a no good hobbit, and the like. 

“Dori! Nori!” Both brothers turned on the spot and could hardly believe it. Little Ori was running toward them.

Neither brother cared about the look the hobbit gave them there eyes were only on their brother. Dori dropped to his knees and swept the tiny dwarfling into his arms, Nori stood at his brother’s side one hand on Dori’s shoulder and the other on the youngest’s head. For what felt like ages they stayed like that, unmoving, each reaffirming that they were together again. It wasn’t until a familiar voice called out that they managed to move.

“Come on you three, you are causing a scene.” The voice of Lady Dís called.  
\--  
“You are a king?” Bilbo asked again, he couldn’t believe it. “So the boys, Fili and Kili...they are princes?” Thorin and Bilbo were seated comfortably in the Thain’s plush chairs as the healer hobbit continued to smear potions on the burns and cuts. Ever so often Bilbo would wince and his eyes would begin to grow glassy again. Thorin did his best to keep the hobbit’s mind off of what was happening. 

“I do not know how anyone can be a king without a kingdom, or a throne.” Thorin remarked bitterly, “My home, Erebor, was taken from me years ago by a dragon. My people have wandered ever since, only recently have we settled in the Blue Mountains and now we will be driven from there as well.” 

Bilbo offered a soft look and a gentle touch with his unhurt hand. “If the plan works, you and yours will be more than welcome here, my grandfather said so himself. It’s no mountain kingdom, but the Shire is our home and we will gladly open it to you as well.” The hobbit inhaled sharply when the healer prodded at a particularly painful bruise. “Though, I worry that I may have to redecorate at the least. I am unsure how comfortable I can be in Bag End now.” 

Thorin watched as the eyes of the hobbit grew dark and his smile brittle, the healer paused unsure of what to do. “Go, he is well enough taken care of. I will call for you when you are needed again.”

“Of course, take care cousin.” The hobbit said carefully patting Bilbo goodbye before disappearing through the door of the the room that had been offered to them. 

Left alone Thorin and Bilbo sat in silence, neither sure of just what needed to be done. Thorin owned the hobbit a debt, the wounds he wore on his skin were gotten protecting the dwarflings. If we were king the hobbit would be showered with gold and jewels, given everything he could ever wish for but now, as a wandering prince without a home, soon to be displaced again there wasn’t much he could offer. 

“Bilbo…” Thorin began but the hobbit stopped him.

“Let us just head back to Bag End.” The hobbit said, softly. He was suddenly very tired. His body ached and his head was beginning to throb. His mind was a whirling vortex of chaos and pain. Every time his eyes closed, even for a second, memories threatened to overtake him. The deaths of the three snatchers the first night he had met the children, the torture he had suffered only the night before, it weighed on Bilbo like a rock sitting on his chest. Every breath was a struggle and every beat of his heart a stab from a knife. “I-I need to see the children.” Bilbo gasped, hands clenching the fabric of his pants. 

Kili’s bright sunny smile, Fili’s soft eyes and Ori’s sweet concern thinking of these things were the only way Bilbo would find it within him to breath. “Please Thorin, I-I….” Tears filled the hobbit’s eyes that were staring into Thorin’s own. 

“Of course, Master Hobbit, we will set out right away.”

\--  
“And Mr. Bilbo made us run, while he stayed here!” Ori continued his tale, detailing to his brothers just what had happened since his disappearance. Both older Ri brothers were calm on the outside but Dís could see their rage and sorrow behind their eyes. 

“And Mr. Bilbo is alright, isn’t he?” Dori asked fussing over Ori’s hair. Ori was happily perched in Nori’s lap while Dori redid a few of the braid in the dwarfling’s hair. Nori, who did not normally allow his space to be so crowded was happily ignoring it for the chance to be with his family. 

“Ma, and Uncle Thorin fixed him,” Kili said spewing food everywhere. Before they left Bilbo had stressed the importance of the many meals of the hobbits. Fili, Kili and Ori were well on their way to being used to the sheer amount hobbits ate and were coming to expect it all the time. Dís, never one to deny her children food had easily went along with it. 

That is why not even five hours after the morning meal, the dwarves were sitting down at their hobbit host’s table eating again. Two extra plates were sat aside, Thorin and Bilbo were due back at any time. Dís could not help but be thankful that Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit, not since they had been forced from their home had the dwarves of Erebor been so well fed. 

“And Fili, he’s well?” Dori asked finally pulling away from his younger brother. “I know when this wee one was ill it was very difficult for Nori and I.” Nori frowned and nodded in agreement. 

“Yes, Fili is well, his fever is very low and he is retaining his liquids as he should.” The mother of Fili and Kili said. “What ever medicine the hobbit’s gave him, it works wonders.” 

“Ma!” 

Dís smiled, “Well what do you. There is my little prince now. Excuse me.” The female dwarf stood from the table and disappeared into the bedroom the dwarves had taken over. 

“Mr. Boggins is really nice, even though that one hobbit girl was really mean! I don’ look like a elf do I?” Kili asked the older dwarves mouth still full of food, it seemed he wanted to continue the story. “I mean, Ori wouldn’t stop crying but Mr. Boggins made sure we was safe in the end.” 

“Shut up Kili! You cried too! I was all alone, you had Fili!” Ori shouted back from the safety of his brother’s lap. 

“Cry baby!” Kili shouted pushing himself to his feet to stand in the chair. Nori frowned and Dori did as well. 

“Boys, be calm, there is no reason to fight.” Dori said soothingly, it would not do for Ori to make an enemy of Thorin’s youngest nephew. 

“He called me a crybaby, Dori! Kili’s mean!” Ori said tugging at his brother’s beard wide childish eyes turned to his brothers. 

“Hush, Ori, Kili is just teasing, aren’t you Kili.” It was Nori who spoke this time, while he would never harm a dwarfling, he had no problem frightening one. The middle Ri brother’s face was a stone mask that made the youngest Durin pause, nod and take his seat again. 

“Sorry, Ori.” 

Nori smirked and didn’t even comment when Dori whacked him across the shoulder. All was well in the hobbit’s kitchen again. 

\--

“Bilbo! Bilbo!” Hobbit and dwarf paused on their way back to Bag End, “Stop please! I have news! From Old Took!”

“Falco?” Bilbo called out, the two having just left home of the Thain could not guess what news Bilbo’s cousin was bringing. 

“Orcs! Bilbo!” Falco said panting, “The rangers killed three orcs just outside of Bree.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may all thank the lovely elenorasweet for being my new beta reader and fixing up this chapter for me. Enjoy!

“Orcs? Here?” Bilbo said, gripping Thorin’s arms tightly. Orcs never came this close to the Shire, not this far from winter.

“Three of them? A scouting party.” Thorin muttered darkly.

Bilbo gasped and turned wide eyes to the dwarrow. “This soon? I wasn’t expecting them for weeks at least.”

Thorin shook his head. “I need to contact the others. It will have to be through raven to get there soon enough. Can you make it to Bag End  
on your own?”

Bilbo nodded, “Of course, I’ll explain everything to Dís.” The hobbit smiled tensely, “Go take care of your people. Falco,” the younger hobbit jumped to attention. “Head back to Old Took’s place and ask him what we need to do. He’ll know what’s going on, alright?”

“Right away, Bilbo! I’m on it!” Falco took off back the way he had come, leaving Thorin and Bilbo again.

“I’ll see you back at Bag End,” Thorin said meeting the clear eyes of the hobbit.

“See you then,” Bilbo replied, feeling calmer than he had all morning.

\--

Dís saw the hobbit through the window hobbling toward the big green door that marked Bag End. “Nori! Help our host.” She barked watching as the dwarf slipped from his seat and was out the door before Dori could finish his sentence. Thorin’s sister had just finished checking on Fili. The boy was asleep again which, considering the stress of the last few days, Dís thought was best.

The lady dwarf met Bilbo and Nori at the door, and couldn’t help but notice the lack of her brother with the hobbit. “Where is Thorin?” Dís asked closing the round green door behind dwarf and hobbit.

“Orcs,” Bilbo began, “were spotted and killed just outside of Bree-Land. Thorin left to send notice to your people. We have to move quickly.” The hobbit inhaled sharply, it seemed in his attempt to return to Bag End he had jarred his arm and he was paying for it now.

“Sit down you dratted hobbit, before you hurt yourself further. I see blood spots through some of your wrappings,” Dís said, exasperated.

“I will grab the bandages, Lady Dís.” Dori said leaving the table and disappearing into the next room.

“I will go help Thorin. I fear if our King under the Mountain is left on his own he will never make it back to the house,” Nori remarked earning a chuckle from Dís. “I shall return.” The dwarf disappeared out the door without another word, just as quickly as Dori had left.

“Mr. Boggins!” Kili shouted running full speed toward the hobbit. Bilbo winced and Dís laughed when instead of reaching the hobbit and his mother Kili face planted, tripping over his own feet.

The little dark headed dwarrow sat up and rubbed at his face. “Owww.”

Dís shook her head, walked the few steps to her son and plucked him from the ground. “This is why you don’t run on Mr. Baggins' well waxed floors. Little dwarrow feet do not have the proper grip, without their  
boots.”

Kili sniffed and rubbed at the red mark that was slowly growing on his forehead. “My head hurts, momma.”

Dís carefully rubbed her fingers across the dwarfling’s forehead and pressed a soft kiss to the red spot. “I know it does. Thank Mahal we dwarrows have hard heads, us Durin’s folk especially. Now go sit with your hobbit and stay still.” The mother placed her son on the ground and watched as he scurried to sit next to the hobbit who immediately began checking on him.

“Here, lady Dís. I heard a crash is everything alright?” Dori asked, handing the lady dwarf the bandages.

Dís just laughed, “Kili took a tumble and bumped his head. All is well. Ori still napping?”

“Oh yes, all the excitement as of late has tired him out. Poor dear.” Dori remarked as they walked back to the hobbit and dwarfling. “My, my little Prince, that is quite a bump you’ve got there.” Dori said eyeing the red mark that was still growing on the dwarfling’s head.

Kili grinned and nodded. “Momma says I’ve got a hard head!” He told Dori proudly.

“I see that,” Dori said with a laugh. “Where did Nori get off too?”

“Ouch! Not so rough, please. You dwarrows maybe be made of stone but we hobbits are more fragile creatures!” Bilbo said as Dís frowned and muttered rather un-nice things under her breath.

“Nori went off to find Thorin.” Bilbo said through gritted teeth when Dís tightened a bandage just a little too much. “Would you be careful, you blasted dwarf! I’m not made of stone you know!” Though Bilbo couldn’t see it Dís rolled her eyes and continued to mutter, making Kili and Dori laugh.

“Males,” Dís exclaimed when she had finished fixing the bandages, “You are all the same, hobbit or dwarf. Whiners the lot of you!”

Kili laughed until Dori poked him in the side softly. “You are male too, little Kili.”

They shared a laugh as Kili’s wide eyed look.

\--

“When do you think they will arrive?” Nori asked Thorin as they watched the murder of ravens fly away. Dwarrows and ravens had a very special relationship. When a dwarf needed a missive carried they chose ravens, when ravens needed food and protection they could always find it with dwarves.

“A few weeks, at most, but I expect we will start seeing them arrive within the week at the earliest. Those with little to their name, and no attachments. Might even see a few from Ered Luin, who wish want to see the hobbits,” Thorin replied, watching as the ravens disappeared in the distance.

“I can only hope they arrive soon enough, orcs this close, this soon.” Nori shook his head. “Dangerous business.”

Thunder rumbled deep from within the clouds. “Rain, now? This isn’t going to end well Thorin,” Nori cautioned. While neither Thorin nor Nori were particularly superstitious dwarrows, even they couldn’t ignore the dark feelings that were beginning to grow within their guts.

“Come, we must return to Bag End quickly. I fear for the others,” Thorin said as the rain began to gently fall to the ground.

\--

Thunder crashed and Kili jumped, the thunder always sounded much further from within their mountain. “I don’t like it,” Kili said from his spot cuddled into Bilbo’s side.

“Me neither!” Ori said, the little dwarf had been woken by the first clap of thunder and had run to Dori’s side. “Where’s Nori?” Ori asked poking at his brother. “I want Nori.”

“Uncle Thorin and Nori will be be back soon,” Fili said poking at the soup his mother had placed in front of him. His fever had broken and when he awoke his mother had allowed him to eat at the table as a reward.

“This rain, it came on so suddenly,” Bilbo remarked twisting a piece of Kili’s hair between his fingers idly.

“Aye. It is strange,” Dori agreed, sipping at his tea.

Dís shook her head. “Rain is rain, you fusspots. Nothing dark or mysterious about it.” She said.

Everyone froze when thunder shook the hobbit hole and those inside of it. “Just thunder.” Dís said snappishly as she stared out the window squinting slightly. “And that looks like Thorin and Nori.” She smiled at the others. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Dís, that’s not Nori and Thorin,” Dori said standing from his spot.

“Hobbit, take the boys and hide.” Dís commanded taking up her axe from the floor near the doorway. Dori appeared to ready himself as well while Bilbo began to usher the dwarflings out of the kitchen.

“Come now lads, off we go.” Bilbo said voice shaking.

The hobbit and dwarflings had just managed to hide when there was once again a knock on the door of Bag End.

\--

“I swear you have the worst sense of direction I have ever had the misfortune of encountering,” Nori remarked, pushing his wet hair away from his face again. Thorin had insisted that he knew where they were going and had them turn at the wrong hill. Nori, knowing that the other dwarf had no idea where they were heading, argued with him.

“All of these hills look the same!” Thorin groused as his own thick wet hair stuck stubbornly to his face.

“If I didn’t think that you sister would have my beard I would have left you out here to stumble around by yourself!” Nori said with little heat behind his words. “Your boy, Fili,” Nori said, changing the subject suddenly. “He did well. Watching after the little ones.” Nori had gotten the whole story from Ori just hours before.

Thorin nodded feeling pride well up in his chest at his sister-son. “Fili is a good boy and a good heir.”

They both descended into silence, only the wet squish of their boots in the mud could be heard above the rain and rolling thunder. They continued on at their pace and without much hurry, only wanting to find the  
hobbit hole and get out of the rain, until Nori spotted something.

“The lights,” Nori said harshly. “The lights are out in Bag End.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to by beta elenorasweet! Sorry it's short.

“What did I say? Whiners, all of them!” Dis complained as she checked the knot on the back of her brother’s head. Said brother winced and twitched every time his sister poked and prodded the knot. 

“Kili, Ori, go tell Bilbo that we need something cold to stick on Thorin’s head,” Dis said, waving the little dwarflings off to the kitchen where Bilbo was hiding out. Poor hobbit had been there since Thorin had come to.

The two little dwarflings grinned and disappeared, leaving a snickering Fili, an openly laughing but very wet Nori, an amused Dori sipping tea and finally a gray wizard who simply watched everyone.

“Bilbo defended his home very well,” Gandalf said smiling behind his beard. Thorin scowled until his sister flicked the knot on the back of his  
head. 

“Had it been Nori that took that skillet to the back of the head, you would be just as amused as we are.” The lady dwarf said. “We will put something on it and you’ll be better by morning.”

“'Cause we have hard heads!” Kili shouted as he ran back to his mother and uncle. Ori swiftly followed holding a little cloth covered something that was obviously supposed to go on the back of Thorin’s head.

Dis plucked the child from the floor and pinched his cheek. “Right you are!” She took the cloth covered ice and thrust it at her brother. “Here, you big dwarfling.”

Thorin took the ice pack and carefully placed it on the back of his head. All the other people in the room politely ignored his hiss when the ice made contact.

“Mr. Bilbo’s face is real red,” Ori told Dori. “Is he okay?” he asked, concerned for the Hobbit.

The wizard chuckled. “I do believe that Mr. Baggins is suffering from a bit of embarrassment.” 

Dis snorted and cuddled her youngest son closer. “Don’t know why. Anyone that can fell a Dwarf like that should be proud! Especially this one,” She jerked her head toward Thorin. “Head like stone, he has.” 

Kili’s laughter was overshadowed by Bilbo’s call of, “I’ll just start dinner,” from the kitchen.

Dori tsked and stood, “I will make sure he doesn’t strain himself.” The poor Hobbit was still healing after all, it would not do to let him hurt himself.

The crowd in front of the fire sat in silence, enjoying the fire until Dori and Bilbo called them to dinner. Dinner was a thick stew that helped warm Nori and Thorin greatly; even after so much time before the fire the rain had still chilled them greatly. 

“You never did tell us why the it’s so dark here.” Nori said after taking a bite of the stew. “It’s why Thorin burst in like he did. We were worried.” 

Thorin grunted his agreement as his sister rolled her eyes. Dori answered his brother as he was the only one that did not have a mouth full of dinner. “The wizard suggested it. Less likely to attract visitors if it appears no one is home.” 

“It’s the weather. Made suspicious idiots out of the lot of you,” Dis muttered before turning to Fili to check his temperature. “It’s just rain! Not everything is an omen you rock headed idiots.”

“Mam! I’m fine!” The dwarfling whined as his mother pressed a hand to his cool forehead. 

Dinner continued much the same way, Dwarrow, wizard and Hobbit talking softly, sometimes poking fun at one another until the last bowl had been emptied. A heavy silence overtook them, until Bilbo cleared his throat. “While you were gone, we received a message from the Thain.” 

Thorin met the hobbits eyes and nodded, to signal for him to continue. 

“He estimates we can house about 200 or so Dwarrow long term, double that short term,” the Hobbit said from memory. “We had a good harvest, so food shouldn’t be a problem and if your people are willing to help we would have more than enough food during the winter. Space could be an issue but most Hobbits, or rather Tooks at least would be willing to house Dwarrow if needed.” 

Dis and Thorin exchanged looks but allowed Bilbo to continue. 

“Old Took seems most worried about culture shock, which is a valid concern, but there is also the actual problem of defending the Shire. No one is sure of how to actually go about that,” the Hobbit finished, looking at his table. 

“Hmm. Orcs aren’t the smartest bunch,” Nori said suddenly, “If we figure out what direction they are coming from we could bottleneck them.” 

“Bottleneck? I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Bilbo said as the others nodded thoughtfully. 

“Oh! Oh! I know! I know!” Ori said jumping up and down in his seat. “You make ‘em all go one way into a tiny opening.” The dwarfling carefully arranged his silverware to form a triangle that didn’t have a bottom and the top didn’t touch. “They go through and you take them out there!” The dwarfling punctuated his explanation with pointing.

“Good job Ori!” Dori praised. “You are very smart!” Nori grinned proudly from his spot on Ori’s other side.

“Oh,” Bilbo said simply. “That’s a good idea then, isn’t it?” 

“It’s possible. We would need to build the funnel, I only wish we had a better idea of when they would arrive!” Dis said fiercely. 

“There is not much we can do about that, Lady Dis.” Gandalf said peering at her over his laced hands. “The orcs will come when they come, there is nothing to do about that.” 

The adult Dwarrow all muttered under their breath, something about wizards and unhelpfulness. Bilbo shook his head, they were such strange things, Dwarrow. “When should we expect to see your people Thorin?” 

“The ones that travel lighter within a few days.” Thorin replied with a scowl.

“Well, not much to be done tonight then,” Bilbo said finally. “We’ve had a long day, why don’t we settle down for the evening.” The hobbit hid a smile at the faces that Fili and Kili pulled, neither appeared too happy with him. 

“Aww, I’m not sleepy!” Kili said as the adults began clearing away the dishes and scooping up the children. 

“Me neither! I’ve slept all day!” Fili whined from his uncle’s arms. Thorin ignored his sister-son and maneuvered around his sister to scoop up her  
youngest son. 

Ori simply snuggled into Dori’s beard with a smile. Little Ori was happy to admit he was tired, and after missing his brothers he was glad to be  
with them. 

“We should avoid the sick room, until I can clean it properly. Gandalf, mother always kept up your room so it’s ready for you,” The Hobbit told  
the wizard. Belladonna Baggins had always insisted on keeping a man sized room for the wizard, should he choose to visit. 

“Thank you dear boy,” Gandalf said with a fond smile. “I shall retire for the evening. Good night.” 

“We can make do, Master Baggins. You go settle yourself by the fire, we will finish up and put the boys down for the night.” Dis told the hobbit  
when he turned to her. “We made ourselves at home last night and we can do so again tonight. Go rest, I’ll call for you when we get the sleeping arrangements settled.” 

Bilbo frowned but internally he was grateful, everything ached. His arm throbbed with his heart beat, his burns felts hot and everything just  
hurt. Still, he was a proper Hobbit and it wasn’t proper for his guests to have to do what they were doing. Sure, the guests were a bit unconventional but surely as their host Bilbo had obligations to them. 

“Hobbit, if you do not do as I ask, I will drag you. I’ve done so to my brother and I assure you he weighs much more than you do,” Dis told the Hobbit sternly. “Go rest. After all that has happened you deserve it.” 

And that was how Bilbo found himself bundled up in front of the fire as Thorin, Dis, Nori and Dori rushed around the Hobbit hole making quick work of the dishes and the children, all the while whistling a cheerful tune that had Bilbo swaying ever so slightly back and forth as his mind began to wander. Bilbo could not believe what had happened to him, it felt like only yesterday that he had stumbled upon the dwarflings and only yesterday that he had killed the snatchers after the children. 

A shudder crawled up Bilbo’s spine at the dark thoughts, but exhaustion kept him from reacting more. the aches and pains made him weak, and added with the excitement from mere hours ago had sapped him of any remaining strength. Just as his eyes slipped closed Bilbo could have sworn that he had heard Dis and Thorin speaking of him.

“Brave little thing, isn’t he brother.” 

“Indeed, he is far more brave than anyone could have expected.” 

A strange warmth filled his chest at the sound of Thorin’s voice and Bilbo knew no more.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slow chapter but hey it's an update. A little Thorin/Bilbo interaction and some nods toward future plot points. Yep. That's basically all this is.

Bilbo awoke with a scream in his throat, as he shot himself upright and had to choke back another scream as his arm radiated pain. 

Every nerve in his arm was on fire and the pain made his head spin. 

“Master Baggins, are you well?” Bilbo strained his eyes to find the source of the voice but was unable to see anything in the darkness. 

“Who’s there?” Bilbo hissed. 

“It is I, Thorin, are you well?” The voice, now identified as Thorin, said having moved closer. 

“I-my arm is on fire,” Bilbo forced out, tears of pain crawling down his face. 

“Here, allow me to help you into the kitchen. My sister left something for the pain for you there,” Thorin said, carefully moving to help the hobbit to his feet. 

“Can you stand unaided?” The dwarf asked ready to take the majority of the hobbit’s weight if need be. 

“I don’t think so,” Bilbo whispered. 

“I have you,” Thorin whispered back wrapping his arm around the hobbit. “Slowly, slowly, we are not in a rush.” 

Bilbo bit his lip to hold back a sob, everything hurt, it wasn’t just his arm anymore but his entire being throbbed in time with his heart beat. 

“Almost there,” Thorin said trying to give the hobbit strength to continue. “Just a few more steps.” 

When Bilbo was finally able to drop into a kitchen chair he gasped trying very hard not to scream. 

Thorin moved to mix the drink that Dìs had set aside for Bilbo if he awoke in pain. “Did I wake you?” Bilbo forced out trying to take his mind off of the burning pain. 

“No, Kili had a nightmare earlier, I found I couldn’t return to sleep,” Thorin said crushing the herbs for Bilbo’s healing potion. 

“Kili? Is he alright?” Bilbo asked worriedly. 

“He’s fine, if all he comes out of his situation with are a few nightmares then we are beyond lucky,” Thorin said. “Is that what woke you, nightmares?” 

Bilbo shuddered as his mind wandered back to his nightmare. It was of the night he had first stumbled upon the dwarflings, he had dreamt that he hadn't found them. His mind conjured up hundreds of scenarios each worse than the next. It soon morphed into a strange mixture of his own torture and what-ifs that had haunted him since he found the dwarflings. 

“Yes,” the hobbit said shortly trying desperately to push the darkness back. 

“Here drink this,” Thorin said pressing the cup into Bilbo’s hand. 

Bilbo took the cup with a thankful smile and quickly took a drink. The liquid was bitter and made him gag but the thought of remaining in pain was worse than the taste. 

“This is disgusting,” Bilbo said coughing. 

Thorin offered a sympathetic smile. “It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever tasted, but it’s the best for pain.”

“It better be worth it,” Bilbo complained forcing down the last of the concoction. 

“It will be,” Thorin promised. 

“My mouth tastes like I licked the bottom of one of your boots,” Bilbo said sitting the cup down. “But since I can feel it starting to work, I’ll ignore that.” 

Thorin laughed quietly retrieved a fresh cup of water. “This will help with the taste.” 

Thorin chucked again as he watched the hobbit attack the water with a surprising ferocity. Everything about the hobbit continued to surprise him. He had trouble understanding how the small, damaged creature in front of him managed to fight so fiercely for his precious nephews and the Ri brother’s youngest. He didn’t understand why the hobbit did what he did. Why he had allowed himself to suffer so much. 

And suffer he had. Thorin could see the livid bruises, the still bright red burns and slowly healing cuts. The broken arm and mental pains he suffered just added to the picture of a beaten and broken hobbit. 

It was the strength that was just behind the pain in his eyes that captured Thorin’s attention. 

“Thorin? Is what we are planning going to work?” 

The dwarf blinked, coming out of his thoughts. “I think it will,” Thorin confided. “My people are not afraid of doing battle and the majority of us are fierce warriors, even those who are not warriors by trade or necessity have some skill with the axe or sword. We will not allow for these creatures to slaughter your people or mine.” 

For a long while neither spoke, but finally with his words slightly slurred from the healing mixture he had drunk, Bilbo whispered a soft, “I trust you.” 

“Come Master Bilbo, let us get you back to bed before you nod off in the kitchen,” Thorin replied moving to support the majority of the hobbit’s weight. 

“I don’t regret it you know, none of it,” Bilbo said softly as they reentered the dark sleeping space. “I would do everything again to spare the children any pain.” 

Thorin gently helped the hobbit back into his bedding, “That is why we are here, because you have worked so hard to protect those most precious to me. It is why I would kill every orc or man who dared raise their weapon in your direction.” 

Bilbo smiled a little, “That’s why I trust you.” A great yawn escaped his mouth but Bilbo was too tired to be embarrassed. 

“Get some sleep, Master Hobbit, tomorrow we will talk more,” Thorin promised finishing his tucking of their hobbit host. 

“Why do you not call me Bilbo?” Bilbo asked blinking sleepily. “Have I not insisted? I should have if I have not. I’ve looked after your nephews and I host you in my home, surely we can be on a first name basis?” 

The dwarf, while confused about the abrupt change of subject, nodded in agreement. “Of course, if that is what you wish. I shall address you as Bilbo and you shall address me as Thorin.” 

“Good,” Bilbo muttered as the pain tonic finally thrust him into unconsciousness.

Thorin carefully pushed the thick curls from Bilbo’s forehead. “You are truly something,” he whispered before retreating to his own space beside his nephews and sister and surrendering to the call of sleep. 

\--

“Wake the hobbit for breakfast,” Dìs declared, “Gently!” She added seeing her young sons jump to the task. 

“Was that wise?” Thorin asked curiously. It certainly wasn’t nice, setting the dwarflings on the hobbit so early in the morning. 

Dìs snorted and grinned slyly at her brother. “I would have feared for the hobbit’s virtue if I had sent you.” 

Thorin jerked in surprise, “What?” 

Dìs rolled her eyes at her older brother’s denseness. “I have seen how you look at him, brother. It is early still, though, I caution you to deepen your friendship before moving forward.” 

The dwarf sputtered and waved his arms trying to refute his sister’s claim but found he could not. 

“What are we talking about?” Nori asked as he came into the hobbit’s kitchen that Dìs and Dori had taken over while their hobbit host was still so injured. 

“Thorin’s infatuation with the hobbit,” Dìs said plainly, ignoring her brother’s dark looks and muttered curses. 

The thief just nodded, “Right Dori and I were talking about that just a few moments ago. I have a friendly bet with my brother about how Thorin will handle it.” 

“Oh! Five on Thorin placing his remarkably large boot in his mouth,” Dìs said cheerfully. “Ten on me having to fix it.” 

Nori grinned, “Of course, Princess.” 

Giving up for the moment Thorin dropped his head into his hands continued to plot his revenge on both the thief and his sister, he was so involved in his self-pity he missed Bilbo’s arrival, using the two young dwarrow as crutches.

“Is something wrong with Thorin?” Bilbo asked concerned, while last night was a little hazy Bilbo was sure that he remembered everything that had been said and done there was no reason for Thorin to look as exasperated as he did. 

Dìs flashed a smile with too many teeth and ushered the hobbit into a chair. “My brother is fine, just a bit of teasing between siblings is all. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Alright,” Bilbo conceded, he had no siblings or close particularly cousins so he would have to take Dìs’ words at face value. “What are we having for breakfast then?” 

“Dori whipped up some eggs and sausage before heading to the market this morning,” Dìs explained removing the food from the over where Dori had left it. “Evidently seven dwarrow and a hobbit go through more food than one would expect.” 

“And a wizard,” a voice said entering the kitchen. 

“Gandalf,” Bilbo greeted warmly. As his mother’s old friend he was incredibly fond of the wizard. 

“Bilbo Baggins you, while still looking quite the fright, are in good spirits this morning,” The wizard said choosing to stand instead of sitting at the small table. “I shall be taking my leave of this place after breakfast.” 

“Why?” Bilbo asked looking at the dwarrow to see if they knew, Thorin, Dìs and Nori appeared just as confused as he was. 

“We will need more help than just the dwarrow of the Blue Mountains for this battle, I fear,” Gandalf said. “I will be attempting to find more assistance and get an understand of just what the Shire will be facing.” 

“My people can handle the threat, Tharkûn,” Thorin growled angrily. 

Gandalf sniffed dismissively. “Whether they can or not I do not care. I shall still seek out other allies, as the Thain asked me too.” 

Thorin opened his mouth to speak but Dìs roughly shoved her elbow into his brother’s side. 

“Of course,” Dìs she said driving her elbow in Thorin’s side again. “The Thain would be a fool to turn away allies ready to aid his cause.” 

Gandalf smiled at the female dwarf and Thorin scowled at Bilbo’s table. The dwarflings who had settled around the table giggled softly at the sour look on Thorin’s face while Nori didn’t bother attempting to smother his sly grin. Bilbo just watched the encounter confused but quickly put it out of his mind as the lure of food finally drew him in. 

“Later today, we should begin preparing for the arrival of more dwarrow,” Dìs said. “I know Dwalin and he will be the first to arrive mark my words. Balin, his brother,” she added for Bilbo’s benefit, “Will not be far behind.” 

“Short term Bag End could hold 13 dwarrow comfortably,” Bilbo suggested. “With work, it could house that many comfortably long term.” 

“Bilbo there is something I had been meaning to ask you, this smial, it is rather large, do you not have family to share it with?” Dìs asked giving Kili a stern look. Her youngest son thought it a good idea to stuff so much food in his mouth that he resembled a chipmunk.

Bilbo ducked his head a bit and chewed a bite of his food. “Oh, Bad End was build by my father for my mother as a courting gift. They had planned to fill it with many children but it was never meant to be. I was their only child, so when they passed some years ago, Bag End was left to me.”

Thorin shot his sister an unimpressed look and the only female of the line of Durin grimaced, “Ah, my apologies lad.” 

Bilbo just smiled, “It’s not a problem. You didn’t know.” 

“Mr. Boggins sir, can you tell us a story?” Ori asked breaking the awkward silence that descended on the table and lasted well after the wizard’s departure. 

Dìs had remained in the kitchen clearing the mess that breakfast had left while Nori disappeared to find his brother, leaving Thorin and the dwarfling to entertain Bilbo until the planning began. 

Bilbo ignored the amused look and raised eyebrow that Thorin shot him at the continued method of address the dwarflings insisted upon. “A story...you’ve heard a great deal of my stories lads.” 

Thorin could see that Bilbo was tired, and looking tiny bit pinched. The pain it seemed as returning. “How about instead, I tell a story? To repay Bilbo for all the stories he told while we were separated.” 

Fili and Kili jumped to attention, “Oh please Uncle Thorin, please tell a story!” They pleaded in unison making Bilbo laugh. Ori turned stary eyes on his friends’ uncle and the dwarf nodded. 

“Of course, where to begin...to the east there sits a single mountain. The Lonely Mountain, Erebor a dwarf kingdom….”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Ticket for Life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6741388) by [PyaarIshq381](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PyaarIshq381/pseuds/PyaarIshq381)




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